What a Catch
by Relised
Summary: When Dave was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he was probably going to die. And he was pretty sure he was okay with that. Or at least he was okay with it until Kurt started coming around. Kurtofsky eventually
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 1**

Dave groaned as he landed on his knees in front of the toilet, throwing up what little food he'd been able to get down. He'd been feeling awful for a few months, but the vomiting had only started the week before. He really, really hated doctors and hospitals so he tried to keep it to himself that something was wrong. After he was sure that he was done throwing up, he sighed before crawling to his feet and rinsing his mouth out at the sink.

Standing at the sink he looked himself over in the mirror. He was losing weight, but he figured it was probably because he couldn't keep anything down. He looked extremely pale and his face almost looked sunken in. There were dark circles under his eyes. No matter how tired Dave was, he always seemed to have problems getting to sleep. He had been thinking about his mom lately and it was just too painful to do anything else.

Just before the bell rang, Dave felt the familiar pressure release and looked up to find his nose bleeding.

"Shit," he grumbled, reaching for some toilet paper. When it looked like his nose had finally stopped, he sniffed uncomfortably before looking at the mirror one last time. He looked as good as he was going to at this point and yawned as he left the bathroom. Maybe he could sleep in Spanish. It's not like Shuester actually cared, anyway.

* * *

After school, Dave stood in the locker room in his football pads, staring into his locker. He had started getting there earlier and ignoring all the other guys when he finally admitted to himself that he was gay. He thought it was probably better if he didn't get caught watching someone else change. That would just be awkward and bring about way too many questions.

He began to feel a little dizzy and quickly sat down, letting his head fall into his hands. He could hear his teammates making their way to the field and he knew he'd have to get up soon.

"Hey, dude, you okay?" Dave's best friend, Azimo Adams, asked, laying a hand on Dave's shoulder.

"Yeah, Az. Just a little tired." He hauled himself to his feet, standing still for a moment when he felt a little light headed. Sighing he followed his friend to the field, ignoring the fact that he had saw him mom standing in the corner of the room.

As soon as he was on the field, Coach Bieste put them to work. Lining up on the line of scrimmage with the other offensive linemen, Dave shut his eyes against the way the world seemed to be spinning. As Finn called the play he opened his eyes and got in position.

"Right on three, break to Judy!" Just as the ball was snapped, Dave's vision shifted. One of the guys from the defensive line slammed into him just as his world went black.

* * *

"I'm fine, Dad," Dave mumbled to his Dad as they walked into the house. He had managed to talk Coach Bieste out of calling an ambulance. Instead she made his dad come and pick him up. Paul Karofsky had sat inside the locker room and waited for his son to change back into his street clothes. Dave's eyes kept flicking to his mother and flinched when giant animated bubbles floated above the water fountain as he bent to take a drink.

'_Get a grip, Karofsky_!' he growled to himself as he sat down heavily on the couch.

"People who are fine don't just randomly pass out at football practice, David," Paul said gently to his son.

"I just haven't been feeling that great lately and I haven't been able to keep much down today. I'm sure it's just a 24-hour bug. I'm going to take a shower and take a nap. I'm fine, I swear, Dad."

"I'm going to check on you later, David. If you look worse, we're going to the ER." Dave sighed but nodded, taking comfort in his dad squeezing his shoulder.

He stumbled into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water before making his way upstairs to the bathroom. Dave closed the door and stood looking into the mirror, taking small sips of water. His world tilted slightly and the glass slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor. Dave could hear his father calling his name and heavy footsteps on the floor. He tried to catch himself, but he fell to the floor, wincing when his kneecap collided with the tile floor.

Just as Paul reached the bathroom door, Dave's world went completely black.

* * *

Dave groaned as he woke up in an unfamiliar bed. The lights above his head were entirely too bright and made his pounding head hurt more. He reached a hand up to his head, flinching when something sharp pulled in his arm. Looking down, he saw and IV sticking out of the large vein in his left arm.

"David, thank God you're awake," Paul said with a sigh of relief. He reached out and took his son's hand in his own, squeezing slightly.

"Dad?" Dave asked quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you were feeling so bad?" Dave had to look away from his father when his father's reading glasses began to look like they were made of crawling worms. Letting out a shaky breath, Dave turned back to his father.

"It's what Mom had isn't it? I'm going to die, aren't I?" Paul sighed, squeezing his son's hand again.

"We won't know until later today. When they brought you in the doctors took some blood and bone marrow so they could run some tests. Dr. Walton said he'd be in later tonight to discuss the results with us. And if it is the same thing, I'm sure we've caught it early enough." Dave sighed but nodded his head.

"Where's Lizzie?" Dave asked, looking around for his sister.

"I wouldn't let her come with the ambulance last night. You were completely out of it so I didn't want to scare her. And she didn't want to skip school today. She has Cheerio practice, after all." Dave smiled at that. His little sister was one of two freshmen who had made the Cheerio team the first time they tried out and he was very proud of her.

The two Karofsky men sat quietly watching the television for most of the day. Dave would occasionally nap and Paul would work on some papers he had brought home from his office. Azimo came by after practice, taking Paul's chair by the bed so the single parent could get some dinner and make some phone calls.

"Are you scared?" Azimo asked, looking away from the football game playing on the television.

"Like you have no idea, Az," Dave whispered, looking at anything but his best friend. Paul returned shortly after and the three boys waited for the doctor return. A half an hour later, Dr. Walter walked into Dave's hospital room looking at a bunch of papers with a worried look on his face. Sighing he pulled another chair up to Dave's bed and sat down.

"I have some bad news, Dave. I treated your mother when she was sick so I know your families proneness for cancer. We ran the tests, and I have the results." The doctor took a deep breath, shooting a pitting look at Dave and Paul. "It's leukemia, Dave. Stage four leukemia, actually, which is a pretty advanced stage. There maybe not have been many symptoms before, which is why we didn't find it any sooner." Dave tightened his grip on his father's hand as tears filled his eyes.

"I want to start you on treatment as soon as possible, as soon as next Monday. We'll start you on a high dose of chemo and we can do some other scans while you're going through treatment. I'm sure you remember the tumors that spread when your mother was sick," Paul nodded his head. Dave had been too young to know the details of his mother's illness, so he simply stared ahead, locking eyes with Azimo. "We're worried that you might have some, too. So when you're here for treatment on Monday we'll do a few body scans, just to make sure."

As Paul and Dr. Walter went into the hallway to discuss specifics, Dave broke down. Azimo stepped up and sat on the edge of the bed, throwing an arm around his best friend. Both boys cried as they worried if Dave was going to make it through this. Just as he started to calm down, Dave saw his mother walking past his bed, a small smile on her face. He couldn't help but cry harder.

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_**AN**__: I hope you guys liked it. My facts about cancer/treatment will be what I can find on the internet so I'm sorry if they aren't really true. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Please review._


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 2**

The doctors had released Dave from the hospital after giving him his diagnosis, but he had to return the next day for his central line. After school, Dave and Azimo crawled into Azimo's car and took off for Lima Memorial hospital. Dave was escorted to a room on the oncology floor where he was asked to remove his shirt then sit on the bed and wait for Dr. Walter. Dave did as he was asked and laid back to wait.

Azimo looked around in awe and Dave smirked. He knew his best friend's guilty pleasure was hospital shows and that although he was worried about Dave he was also excited about learning medial things. The two jocks sat talking quietly until Dr. Walter came in, greeting them both with a smile.

Dave watched as the doctor numbed the area around his collar bone where they would be putting the central line. He had wished his dad was here, but being an only parent meant that Paul had to work a lot of extra hours.

"Just sit tight for a few minutes while the lidocaine takes effect, Dave, and I'll be back to get started." Dave nodded quietly, looking at his hands.

"Hey Az?" Dave said quietly as the doctor left the room for a moment.

"Yeah?" Azimo said back.

"Thanks for coming with me to this…I didn't want to be alone and I didn't want to scare Lizzie."

"Hey man! What are friends for?" Azimo asked with a fake cheery smile. "Besides, the sooner they put this in, the sooner you can start to get better."

Dave tried to smile back but he was just so exhausted. Cancer was another secret to add to the list of things he was keeping from everyone at McKinley High and the stress was really starting to wear on him.

"Last night when the doctor was talking about spreading tumors, what was he talking about?" Azimo asked curiously.

"I asked Dad when we got home about this. Apparently when my mom was sick other tumors started to form. They can be in any of your vital organs, kind of feeding off of them. They just want to look to see if I have any."

"Well hopefully you don't man."

"Um…They're probably going to find one in my brain," Dave said staring off into space.

"Why the hell would you say that?" Azimo asked, confused by Dave being so quiet. Dave watched as his mother sat in a chair across the room and flipped through a magazine looking bored. He cleared his throat before looking up at Azimo.

"'Cause I've been hallucinating for at least a week," Dave mumbled.

"You've been seeing shit? Like what?" Dave sighed, looking out the window as he answered.

"You know those water bubbles from cartoons and stuff?" Azimo nodded. "Well those have been floating over every body of water or sink. My dad's glasses, no joke, looked like moving earth worms last night. All the birds look like they're the comics. Like their just drawings on a white background with a black outline." He sighed looked back to his hands. "Remember that dog I had when we were little?"

"Charlie?" Azimo asked.

"Yeah. The damn things been dead for over ten years, but he crawled in bed with me last night and was licking my face. That, and I'm pretty sure my mom's not really sitting in that chair right now," Dave whispered, pointing across the room. Azimo looked but saw nothing. He turned back to Dave, a worried look on his face. He wanted to say something encouraging, but that didn't work to well for him.

"Wait, you saw Charlie? How did the old boy look?"

"Seriously?" Dave deadpanned, finally looking up at his friend again. "Out of everything I just told you, you're worried about how the dog who died when we were eight looks?"

"Hey! I liked that dog." Dave rolled his eyes, snorting at his best friend. "Sorry. But that's pretty messed up man. If…if it is a tumor, what will they do?"

"Dad said that if there is one I'm going to have to have brain surgery at some point. If they aren't took big when they find it and aren't in a bad place, they can take it out right away. If it looks pretty big, I'll have to undergo radiation so they can shrink it. Then I'll have to have the surgery. The big worry is that it'll be some place that's impossible to cut out without making me a vegetable." Azimo nodded, looking back at his hands.

"Well just think positive thoughts…Does your mom talk to you?" Dave snorted again, shaking his head.

"I think if she did this wouldn't suck so bad. Instead she just watches me. Or smiles creepily and waves. Right now she's reading a magazine and ignoring me. I…I don't know. It's kind of scary." Azimo nodded and the two boys sat in silence until the doctor came back.

Dave laid back, closing his eyes as Dr. Walter cleaned the area and put a drape over it with a hole in the middle, Dave turned his head away, not wanting to watch as his a long wire was inserted into the vein and a port attached to the wire. Although he couldn't feel any pain, he could feel a lot of pressure as the doctor worked quickly and it was very uncomfortable. When he opened his eyes, Dave smiled as he saw his best friend watching intently.

"Dr. Walter?" Azimo asked, never taking his eyes off the central line. "What is this for, exactly?" The doctor smiled as he began stitching the port into Dave's skin.

"Well, chemotherapy has to be inserted into the blood stream. Normally an IV would be used to do that. But with chemo treatments happening so often, we would be having to put a new IV in every few days. That would be hard on Dave and we'd eventually run out of good veins to use. The central line inserts into a larger vein closer to his heart. The line can just stay in there, and when medication is added it can be pumped to the rest of the body faster because it doesn't have that far to go to reach the heart."

Dr. Walter finished with the stitches and attached a tube to the port. The tube was short and had a screw end where another tube could be attached when it was time for treatment. After making sure everything was applied properly, Dr. Walter turned his attention to Azimo.

"Normally I'd like to show a parent how to do this, but since Mr. Karofsky couldn't be here I'm going to show you how to keep this clean. I'll also send a sheet home with the steps, so maybe you can walk Paul through it." Azimo stood and Dave closed his eyes as the doctor walked his friend through the steps. He jumped when someone put their hand on his other shoulder.

"I want you to sit here just a little longer to make sure you aren't going to have a reaction to anything, okay? Just give it ten more minutes and I'll let you go home." Dave sighed but nodded at the doctor.

Dave and Azimo sat quietly, neither feeling the need to talk. Finally Dave took a deep breath.

"Az?" Dave asked again, waiting for his friend to look at him. "I…there's something else I need to tell you. And you're probably going to hate me afterwards. But I just can't keep it in anymore."

Azimo gave Dave a confused look before nodding and telling his friend to keep talking.

"I…I'm…I'm gay," Dave said at last, looking down because he was too afraid to meet his friend's eyes.

"Seriously?" Azimo asked, staring at his friend. Dave nodded miserably, finally looking up at Azimo's face. He was surprised to see a smile on his friend's face. "That's it? I thought you were going to tell me you had killed someone and needed me to lie for you!"

"You…you aren't mad?" Dave asked, still worried.

"Nope. You love who you love. It's not your fault. Why did you finally decide to tell me?"

"It just seemed that worrying about cancer seemed to be much more important than hiding that I like boys…Not that the boy I like would want me even if I wasn't dying." Dave looked at his hands, drowning in his misery.

"Hey-any man would be lucky to have you. But I'll always have your back."

"Thanks, dude. Can you, um, not say anything to Dad or Lizzie yet? I haven't told them…"

"Sure thing, dude." The two boys bumped knuckles, and for once Dave didn't feel afraid of being gay.

* * *

Azimo walked slightly behind Dave as the boy stumbled to the parking lot. Dave was getting more tired and the pain killer the doctor had given him the night before made him a little dizzy.

"Can you pick Lizzie and me up for school tomorrow, Az?"

"Sure, man. Can't remember the last time I had to give you a ride," the linebacker said with a grin.

"Yeah well, the doctor said I can't drive with these pain killers." Azimo grimaced in sympathy as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you guys going to need a ride home, too?"

"Maybe. I'm going to talk to coach tomorrow…tell her I have to quit and stuff. I have to talk to Coach Wells about hockey too. And I have to talk to the teachers and stuff so I figured I'd do most of it after school."

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Dave kept his head against the cool window and he wondered if he was starting to get a fever. The two boys said goodbye to each other and Azimo waited until he was sure Dave was in the house before pulling away.

* * *

Paul wasn't home when Dave got there. Lizzie was fixing dinner when Dave made his way into the kitchen. He put the instruction paper for cleaning the port on the counter and gave a small smile to his sister. She pulled him into a big hug, standing on her tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you, Davey," she whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, too, Lizzie Bug."

"Why don't you go lay down for a while? You look pretty tired. I'll bring some of this upstairs to you when it's done." Dave nodded, kissing his sister on the forehead again before making his way up the stairs. He flung himself on his bed, wincing when he realized that the anesthetic was wearing off his shoulder. He ran his finger over the central line, squinting to get a closer look at it.

Chemo hadn't even started and Dave was already tired of having cancer. Not many people even knew yet, but he knew that once they did they would just pity him-saying things like "oh that poor Karofsky kid, he's going to meet the same end as his poor mother. Or worse-"That Karofsky kid is getting what he deserves for being such a bully." Dave sighed, laying back on his bed. He growled slightly when he saw his mother sitting on his desk chair, her head cocked to the side.

"Damn it, you aren't real! Just leave me alone!" He threw the closest thing to him-the television remote control- and sighed when his mom vanished right when the remote would have collided with her head. Curling in on himself, Dave wiped helplessly at the tears falling down his face as he fell asleep.

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_**AN:**__ I hope you liked it. Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 3**

Dave and Azimo sat on the bleachers during lunch time, laughing to themselves about old memories. Dave was only eating some crackers-the only thing he could really keep down- and kept having to slide away from Azimo when the boy's greasy pizza started to make him sick. Azimo watched Dave rub as his shoulder slightly, staring off into space.

"Have you told anyone yet, man?" he asked, swatting Dave's hand away from where he knew the port was. Dave nodded slightly, still staring off into space.

"I told the teachers from my morning classes. They seemed real sympathetic and told me they'd write out a lesson plan so I can hopefully teach myself while I'm going through treatment." He blinked as his mother walked down the 50 yard line with Charlie on a leash. As the dog drooled, the spit came out as animated water bubbles. And he swore he heard two birds talking to each other. Like actually talking in English. He sighed, ducking his head.

"Seeing shit again?" Azimo asked quietly, looking out into the field. He could see nothing.

"I don't want to talk about it," Dave murmured, keeping his head down. "Anyway, I'm going to talk to Coach Bieste after lunch since I have a free period. Then I'll just talk to the rest of my teachers during class then coach Wells after school."

"Good luck, man," Azimo said. Dave nodded and when he finally looked up her was relieved to see his mom and Charlie were gone.

* * *

Dave hesitated outside of the Coach Bieste's office, rocking on the balls of his feet. Finally he sighed and knocked on the door frame. The football coach looked up and smiled when she saw Dave. She had been worried about him when he passed out in practice and hadn't heard much from him since.

"How you feeling, kid?" She asked, gesturing for him to sit in the chair across from her. Dave did so, his eyes scanning the room for anything funny. Letting out a sigh of relief when he found nothing, he turned back to his coach.

"N-not so good, Coach," he said, fidgeting with his shirt. "I ended up having to go to the hospital after practice 'cause I fainted again and they ran a bunch of tests. I have stage four leukemia. I have to start chemo on Monday." It was the fourth time he had said it out loud today, but he still felt miserable saying it. Cursing himself as tears welled up in his eyes, he ducked his head.

Shannon Bieste felt her heart break as she watched the young boy in front of her. She knew he was tough-he had dislocated his shoulder early in the season the previous year and hadn't even flinched when they put it back in. She had heard from Will that the boy had lost his mother when he was young and that for some reason he seemed to be struggling a lot the previous year. She pushed herself from her chair and rounded the desk, pulling Dave into a hug.

"You're going to be okay, kid. You'll see, just keep your head up, think positive. All that happy people junk. Just don't give up, 'cause I'm going to need my right tackle back next year."

"I'm sorry I let you down, ma'am," Dave said, looking at his feet.

"You did no such thing. It's not like you could do anything to prevent this. Now, you go worry about getting yourself better. You can clean out your locker later this week, okay? We'll be thinking about you." Dave smiled slightly as he stood up.

"Coach? Can you… not tell the guys yet?"

"Sure, Dave. I'll think of something to tell them."

"Thanks, ma'am."

* * *

Puck didn't normally do relationships. He'd been let down with the whole Quinn situation and definitely hadn't been happy when he caught Lauren cheating on him the previous spring. But there was something about Lizzie Karofsky that changed his mind.

The girl was younger than him, but she seemed to have this attractive maturity to her. They both know how it was to grow up with only one parent- Puck's dad taking off around the same time that Lizzie's mom had passed away. While she liked the feeling aspect, she also liked sex with Puck. She was the perfect mix of every girl Puck had ever slept with and he was happy to actually put a label to his relationship.

That particular afternoon they were at his house after football and Cheerio practices were over for the day. After a quick roll around in the sheets, the couple laid in each other's arms, deep in thought.

"You're brother wasn't at practice today," Puck said quietly, letting his index and middle fingers walk up his girlfriend's back. While he still thought Dave was an ass most of the time, he dealt with it for Lizzie's sake. When the tackle hadn't shown up at practice that afternoon, coach had simply said it had been taken care of and to not ask questions.

"Um, yeah…" Lizzie said quietly, tears filling her eyes. "Davey's…Davey's sick, Noah." She whispered.

"What do you mean he's sick? Like he has the flu or something?"

"No. Noah you can't tell anyone this, okay? Dave doesn't want anyone to know yet. Promise me you won't tell."

"Hey babe," Puck said pulling Lizzie closer to his naked chest. "I promise I won't tell. What's got you so worked up?"

"Dave has cancer, Noah." Lizzie whispered brokenly. "Leukemia like Mom died of. And it's really progressed-no one had noticed the symptoms until he passed out the other night. He starts treatment Monday. I'm scared. I don't want my brother to die." Puck kissed her forehead and rubbed gentle circles on his girlfriend's arm..

"Did they give any time frame?" He asked quietly, suddenly worried about his teammate.

"No. They have to run a few more tests and stuff when he goes in Monday, then they'll probably say." Puck nodded, placing another kiss on Lizzie's forehead.

"Hey- you gotta stay positive. I'm sure your brother is scared shitless and he's going to need you. Keep believing he's going to be fine. You're brothers a tough SOB, he's not just going to give up." Lizzie gave Puck a small smile before getting up and starting to get dressed. Puck drove her home, keeping his hand in hers and smiling at her ever so slightly. When they pulled up in front of the house he gave her a deep kiss.

"You know where to call if you need me babe," Puck said with a grin.

"Thanks, Noah."

* * *

When Lizzie made her way up to her brother's bedroom, Dave was reading. She couldn't tell what it was until she was snuggled up next to him. It was a book like "Chemo for Dumbies," outlining exactly what was going to happen. Dave gave Lizzie a kiss before grimacing.

"You smell like Puckerman and sex," he said, lifting an eyebrow at his sister.

"I wonder why," Lizzie deadpanned back before grinning at Dave.

"It still weirds me out that you two are dating. But I swear if he hurts you…" He let his threat die on his lips as Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes I know-you'll kick his ass. We've been over this." Lizzie snuggled down in her brother's arm, reading along with him. She breathed in deeply, taking in his smell: some cologne they sell at American Eagle, toothpaste, and sweat. It was a smell that always comforted her and it was a smell that was entirely Dave's. Ad she breathed in deep again, she noticed the smell of disinfectant and remembered the port. Reaching out a hand to Dave's shoulder, she hesitated slightly.

"Can I see it?" Dave nodded and tilted his neck back so Lizzie could pull the collar of his shirt down. The skin around the port was red, but didn't look like it was infected. Dave's skin was stretched tight around the plastic and Lizzie let her fingers hover over the device. "Does it hurt?"

"Not really. It just feels kind of weird." She nodded, ghosting her fingers over it, making Dave shiver. Her curiosity satisfied, she reached her hand up to play with Dave's curls. Her heart hurt for a moment when she remembered Dave would lose his hair soon, but she quickly shook the thought from her head.

"Noah knows…" Lizzie trailed off quietly, glancing at Dave's face. He simply shrugged.

"It's okay. I doubt he'll say anything, and besides everyone will know eventually."

The siblings sat lost in thought for a moment, Lizzie's fingers still playing with Dave's hand.

"You aren't going to give up, are you Davey?" Lizzie asked quietly, not looking at her brother's face.

"N-…I don't know. I don't plan on anytime soon, but it's too soon to know how bad it's going to be," Dave said quietly, glancing at his sister's face before gazing out the window.

"I bet they don't find anything on the scan Monday," Lizzie declared confidently and Dave sighed.

"I know without them looking that there is at least one, Lizzie Bug," Dave whispered, wincing when Charlie jumped on his bed.

"What?" Lizzie demanded, sitting up to look at her brother better.

"There's one in my brain. There has to be, or I'm actually losing my mind." He explained about all the weird things he'd been seeing, adding the fact that the cereal he ate after school had been talking to each other and that the neighbor's cat whistled at him. Lizzie's eyes filled with tears and she snuggled in closer, keeping a tight grip on her brother.

"You can't leave me, you hear me? You aren't giving up. I love you, Davey."

Dave simply nodded as his tears combined with his sister's.

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_**AN**__ I hope you liked it! Please review. _

_And to LiveLoveRead-I actually hadn't thought that far ahead so I guess we'll both have to wait and see._


	4. Chapter 4

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 4**

The next morning, Lizzie got a ride to school from Puck so Dave and Azimo were left alone. As Azimo pulled out of the Karofsky's drive way, he turned to look at his best friend. He grinned slightly when he saw Dave was eating a banana. It wasn't much, but Azimo was glad he was able to keep something down.

"Hey Dave?" Azimo asked with a smirk on his face.

"Hmm?" Dave answered, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Davey, when you came out to me you said the guy you liked would never like you. May I ask who this gentleman is?  
"No," Dave said, turning to gaze out the windshield.

"Is he straight, Davey?" Azimo asked, trying to keep the laugh from his voice.

"No. Trust me, he's definitely gay." Dave mumbled, still avoiding Azimo's eyes.

"Well have you tried telling him you like him?" Azimo asked.

"Considering I was an ass to him last year and shoved him around, threw him in the dumpsters and threatened him, I'm almost positive he's going to want nothing to do with me." Dave knew his best friend wasn't the smartest guy. He wasn't Finn dumb, but he had his slow moments. Dave definitely never expected Azimo to put two and two together, especially so fast.

"Holy shit, it's Hummel isn't it?" Azimo exclaimed, giggling in glee. Dave groaned and put his face in his hand. "Does he know you like him?"

"Uh huh, because I'm a dumbass and kissed him."

"Time out!" Azimo yelled, trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard. "When the hell did you kiss Kurt?"

"…He confronted me last year after I shoved him into the lockers. He followed me to the locker room and was screaming at me. He kept telling me how I wasn't his type and that he didn't dig on chubby boys who sweat too much and would be bald by the time they were thirty," Azimo snorted, but Dave kept talking. "Anyway, he kept yelling and I kept warning him, telling him to get out of my face. And of course, being Hummel, he didn't listen. And I don't know what happened. One minute I wanted to punch him in the face, and the next minute I was kissing him."

"Oh shit!" Azimo said, still not able to control his laughter.

"Yeah. And he didn't fight me, so I thought he liked it. So I went in for a second one and he pushed me away. And instead of being a normal person and asking him nicely not to tell anyone, I threatened to kill him. Please flash back to me getting slammed against the wall by a very angry Burt Hummel and me being expelled for a week."

"Yeah well I was sure you'd taken too many hits to the head in football. Now it all makes sense. Have you tried talking to him?"

"I was going to, but when I came back to school he'd already moved to Dalton and I haven't had the chance. Everything is so calm this year…I didn't want to bring it up."

"You could always play the sympathy card. Just tell him you're dying and I'm sure he'll eat it all up. I got a date with some girl from the all girl's school the next town over because I said I was depressed that my best friend had cancer."

"Wow, thanks Az for using my suffering to get some ass. You are such an awesome best friend, what would I ever do without you?" Dave deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! You know you're my boy! And if I could do something to make that stupid cancer go away, I would. But we're going to make the best of it while we still can. Before everything gets depressing and you get so sick that I don't recognize you anymore." The boys sat in an awkward silence as Azimo pulled into the parking lot of the school.

"Sorry, Az," Dave whispered, not meeting his best friends eyes. "I'm scared and I guess I didn't stop to think that you might be too."

"Sorry for making jokes about it man. You know that's how I work." The two tackles bumped knuckles, smirking as they silently made up.

"Now!" Azimo exclaimed, grabbing his bag out of the backseat. "Off to somehow win you Hummel's fancy little ass. This should be easy…I think."

* * *

"I told you, Blaine!" Kurt groaned into the phone. "I don't have time to come see you this weekend, okay? I have three tests next week and a 15 page paper. We will hang out next week." Kurt slammed his locker shut, throwing his book bag over his shoulder. "No, don't come to Lima because for the last time I don't have time to hang out. Fine, whatever, you just go ahead and pout. Act like a child! Goodbye, Blaine!"

Kurt sighed as he shut off his phone. Blaine was prone to calling back immediately after a fight and Kurt wasn't in the mood to talk to him. When Kurt had decided to move back to McKinley at the end of the school year, Blaine had not been happy. Ever since then, the couple had been fighting constantly. After four months of fighting, Kurt was beginning to wonder if he should just end it. He sighed again before making his way to his Navigator. Knowing that all the football players should be on the field at practice, he cut past the locker room since it was the most direct path.

As Kurt neared the locker room, he froze when he saw Dave Karofsky standing inside. Kurt stood just beside the doorframe, peaking into the locker room and watched as Karofsky unpacked his locker. The jock looked depressed, and as Kurt looked closer he saw that the boy was a lot paler than normal.

"He's sick," A voice said behind him, and Kurt jumped. He turned around to see Noah Puckerman behind him, hugging his helmet to his chest.

"I'm pretty sure I figured that out when he threatened to kill me, Puck," Kurt said softly, turning his gaze back to Dave.

"No. I mean…Don't tell anyone I told you this. His sister kind of let it slip the other night after sex. But, um…Karofsky has cancer. Leukemia. Lizzie said it was in pretty advanced stages 'cause no one ever noticed the symptoms before now. They're starting him on chemo, like, asap, but his chances aren't looking so hot."

Kurt's world seemed to freeze. Dave hadn't been bothering him lately. In fact, the boy had just looked tired all the time. Kurt had witnessed him running for the bathroom after meals and Finn had said he saw Dave throw up a few times. Artie had said he had gotten a random bloody nose in chemistry, and Mike had said Bieste had let Dave sit out of practice the other day because his head hurt so bad? How had no one seen the symptoms?

"That's why he hasn't been bothering me anymore, isn't it?" Kurt asked Puck, turning back to look at the running back. Puck nodded sadly.

"I don't think he wants anyone to know. Doesn't want to seem weak, you know? I'm pretty sure Az knows, but that's it. So, um, try to keep quiet, okay?"

Kurt nodded as Puck walked away. He turned his gaze back to the locker room, wondering how Dave was handling everything. Just as he was starting an internal debate on if he should approach the jock or not, Dave noticed him.

"Kurt?" Dave whispered. He rubbed at his eyes, wondering if this was all in his head. His hallucinations had never shown someone who was alive before and he was worried that this was going to make things so much more difficult. He pulled away and saw that Kurt was still standing in front of him. His mother stood behind the smaller boy, smirking as if she knew something.

"Karo-I mean Dave. How are you? Um…"

"Who told you?" Dave asked tiredly as he sunk down on the bench behind him.

"Puck," Kurt said simply and Dave snorted. "Are you okay?"

"No," Dave answered honestly, not sure why he was confiding in his crush who hated him while he lied to his family and friends.

Kurt stood in front of Dave having an internal argument inside his head. Finally, before he could change his mind, Kurt lunged at Dave. He pulled the football player into a strong hug. Dave froze at first before relaxing into the hug. He knew that if it was in his head that it could disappear at any time so he held on to Kurt tightly.

"Why can't you be real?" He whispered into Kurt's hair, still assuming that it was all a hallucination. Kurt looked at him like he was nuts.

"I am real, Dave," the shorter boy whispered back. Dave finally believed that Kurt was actually there and pulled back quickly.

"I-I-I'm so sorry for last year! I'm so sorry I hurt you and I threatened you and treated you like shit because I was scared. And I loved you, I mean I still love you, but I didn't know what else to do about it so I lashed out. I'm so, so sorry." Tears fell down Dave's face as Kurt's eyes grew wild. Clearing his head quickly, Kurt flashed Dave a small smiled.

"It's okay. I understand, I forgive you." The two boys stood in silence, shifting awkwardly. Finally Dave took a big breath and grabbed Kurt's hand.

"Come with me," he said, gently pulling on Kurt's arm. "I need to show you something."

Dave pulled Kurt into the auditorium, smiling when he saw Puck's guitar sitting on the edge of the stage. He gently pushed Kurt into a chair before sitting on the edge of the stage. Kurt raised an eye brow at him as Dave began to play. Dave simply smiled back. Not many people knew that Dave could play guitar and sing. Actually, only Az and Lizzie knew. But he didn't care; it felt like something Kurt needed to know. Taking one last deep breath, Dave began to sing.

_"And even though the moment passed me by I still can't turn away. I saw the dreams you never thought you'd lose tossed along the way. Letters that you never meant to send lost or thrown away _

_"And now we're grown up orphans that never knew their names. Don't belong to no one that's a shame. You could hide beside me maybe for a while-And I won't tell no one your name. I won't tell em' your name. _

_"Scars are souvenirs you never lose , the past is never far. Did you lose yourself somewhere out there , did you get to be a star. Don't it make you sad to know that life is more than who we are _

_"You grew up way too fast and now there's nothing to believe. And reruns all become our history. A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio. And I won't tell no one your name. I won't tell em' your name" _

As he went into the guitar solo, Dave looked up and locked eyes with Kurt. The smaller boy stood up and walked closer, puling himself to sit on the stage next to Dave. Before Dave knew what was happening, Kurt was grabbing the side of his face and pulling him in for a deep kiss. Dave didn't pull away until he knew it was time for the last part of the song.

_"I think about you all the time- But I don't need the same. It's lonely where you are come back down. And I won't tell em your name."_

Kurt pulled him in for one last small kiss before jumping off the stage and walking away, never once looking back at a gaping and confused Dave Karofsky.

* * *

_**AN**__: I hope you liked it! The song was "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls. Please review. I'll try to update some more tomorrow once I get my homework done._


	5. Chapter 5

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 5**

Kurt sunk down in the driver seat of his Navigator, bouncing his head off the steering wheel as he sighed. He hadn't planned on kissing Dave. In fact, up until the second before he did it, Kurt had wanted nothing to do with the jock. But after Dave's little performance, Kurt felt like he saw the other boy in a new light. He no longer saw the homophobic bully who lashed out at anyone the slightest bit different. Instead, Kurt saw a more mature Dave who was terrified of the many secrets he was holding: the fact that he was gay and that he possibly liked Kurt. And then there was the fact that he had cancer and next to no one knew about it.

Kurt sighed again, suddenly feeling guilty. No matter how much Dave had changed, Kurt was pretty sure he'd never see anything romantic in the former jock. He also felt guilty for cheating on Blaine. Although their relationship was hanging on by a thread Kurt knew he had done the wrong thing. Turning his phone back on, he sent Blaine a quick "I love you!" text before pulling out of the school parking lot, hoping that Dave wouldn't tell anyone.

* * *

That evening, Dave sat on a bar stool in the kitchen, his head tilted back as his father went through the steps to clean the site around his central line. He winced as the cold rubbing alcohol reached the small incision but tried to keep as still as possible. Paul worked gently and quickly, talking quiet nonsense to keep his son calm.

"Hey Dad?" Dave asked quietly as Paul was finishing up. "I…I have something I need to tell you and Lizzie. After we're done here…can we talk?" Paul gave a questioning look to his son but nodded.

"Liz should be back soon. We can talk then." Right on cue, Lizzie walked in the door with Puck following behind her.

"Daddy! Noah and I brought pizza!" Paul smiled at his son when he heard Dave's stomach growl. Dave grinned sheepishly back before ducking his head.

"Liz, sweetie, David says he needs to talk to us about something. I think we should do that before we eat." Lizzie squinted at her brother as Puck shifted awkwardly in the doorframe.

"Dude, I can leave if you need me to," Puck suggested, gesturing to the door. Dave paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"You might as well hear it from me. I'm sure everyone else will know soon, anyway." The small family walked into the living room, Puck putting his arm around Lizzie as they sat on the love seat. Dave sunk into his mother's old chair, keeping his eyes on his feet so he couldn't see her waving at him from across the room. Charlie came skidding into the room, tripping over his ears and landing at Dave's feet. It took every ounce of will power Dave had not to reach down and pet the dog that wasn't really there.

"What did you need to talk to us about, David?" Paul asked, leaning forward from his chair to look at his son. Before Dave even opened his mouth, he had tears in his eyes.

"I-I-I'm," he stuttered, grasping his hands tight as if that was all it would take to hold him together. Taking one last shuttering breath, he looked up and locked eyes with his father. "I'm gay."

The world seemed to freeze as Paul, Lizzie, and Puck processed what had just been said. Lizzie reacted first, launching off the couch and throwing herself into her brother's arms. She held him as close to her as possible, whispering "it's going to be okay" and "I'm proud of you" over and over again.

Next came Puck, who walked up to Dave with a grin on his face. He held out his hand, and Dave hesitantly took it. The two boys shook hands and it was like every shitty thing they had ever done to each other was gone. Dave sat staring at his feet, still waiting for his father to say something.

"David I-I- thank you, for trusting enough to tell me. That took a lot of courage I'm sure." Dave nodded, sighing miserably. "I have to say that I didn't see this coming, but I still love you okay? And I'm never going to stop loving you regardless of what you do." Dave let out a sob as Paul pulled his two children in for a tight hug. After a moment, Puck joined too.

Paul and Puck watched as the two Karofsky children made their way up the stairs, Lizzie grilling Dave on boy crushes. The pizza sat on the kitchen counter, long forgotten.

"Well I sure as hell didn't see that coming," Puck said. Paul snorted but agreed, pushing Puck to follow after them.

* * *

It was Friday, Dave's last day of school before he started chemo. His teachers were giving him an abundance of homework and wishing him well. He tried to give them reassuring smiles, but he was pretty sure they probably just looked like grimaces. He was getting ready to walk to the football field, annoyed about having to wait for Azimo to get out of practice, when someone grabbed his arm. He turned around to see Kurt Hummel.

"Hey," Kurt said shyly, biting his lip. "I noticed you've been getting rides with Azimo lately, but I figured I could take you home so you don't have to wait." Dave sighed but nodded, following the smaller boy to the parking lot. Kurt had been avoiding him since the kiss, and Dave couldn't say he really blamed him. As Kurt pulled out of the parking lot, following Dave's directions home, he sighed before turning to look at Dave.

"I-I'm sorry about the other day. I had no right to do that-I was practically taking advantage of you! I just…you seem so different this year that I kind of forgot who you were for a moment." Dave flinched, but continued gazing out the window as a goldfish walked alongside the road. Mrs. Johnson, who lived on the corner, had her clothes hanging on the line outside and Dave watched as they continuously changed colors.

"I don't want to lead you on, Dave. That's not fair. I'm already dating someone, and I'm happy. In love, in fact. I don't want to ruin that. What happened the other day was just a mistake. I promise it won't happen again." Dave sighed but nodded his head. As Kurt pulled up to the Karofsky's house, Dave had the door open before the car had even stopped.

"Hey Dave?" Kurt asked again as the boy got out of the car. When Dave turned around, Kurt asked quietly: "can we keep this a secret? Like the last time?"

"Whatever you want, Hummel," Dave said, sounding every bit as defeated as he felt.

* * *

Kurt laid on his bed, curled up beside Blaine. Although he had told his boyfriend he didn't have time to spend with him that weekend, the gleek felt guilty and had asked Blaine to come to Lima. They had been kissing for a few moments, totally lost in each other, when the door to Kurt's bedroom slammed open. Kurt yelped, almost falling of the bed when he saw Noah Puckerman standing in the doorway.

"Fancy," he said, gesturing to Blaine. "I need to talk to your boyfriend for a moment. Alone." Blaine gave the two boys a questioning look before crawling off the bed.  
"I'll just be in the kitchen?" He said before walking past Puck, who quickly shut the door behind him.  
"Puck what the hell are you doing?" Kurt asked annoyed.

"Good question, Kurt. What were you doing when you kissed Karofsky the other day?" Kurt squeaked but then immediately froze. With wide eyes he looked up at Puck.

"You saw that?" He asked.

"No. But Dave and Lizzie had a nice little chat after he came out to his family the other night. Somehow I got invited in on girl chat, but whatever," Puck said, looking embarrassed as he ran a hand through his mohawk.

Kurt stared ahead, he jaw slack. Dave had came out to his family? He couldn't believe it.

"He came out?" Kurt asked, still in awe.

"He said he had enough to worry about with chemo and tumors and all that shit that he just couldn't keep it a secret anymore. He said he'd been keeping it for a long time." Kurt nodded.

"He kissed me last year…"

"Yeah? Well that doesn't give you the right to just jump him. For one, you know he's vulnerable right now. For two, the chances of him surviving this shit aren't high, so he doesn't need you dragging him around and confusing him. Three, you've got a fucking boyfriend, or did you forget who fancy was? And four, you just told him you had a 'lapse of judgment?' What kind of rational was that? Were you trying to make him feel worse about himself than he already does? I expected more from you Kurt. I thought you would be the bigger person."

Kurt hung his head in shame and tears welled up in his eyes. Put that way, it truly did sound awful and Kurt felt so guilty.

"I'm sorry. I know it was wrong. I'll talk to him! I'll make it better, I promise, Puck," Kurt said with a quivering lower lip. Puck sighed but shook his head.

"Just leave him alone, Kurt," he said in a quiet voice. "I think he has enough to deal with right now without trying to figure out how your head works."

With that, Puck turned and left the room, leaving a sobbing Kurt behind. He was still crying five minutes later when a very confused Blaine returned.

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_**AN**__: I hope you guys liked it. Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_I don't own Glee_

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**What a Catch: Chapter 6**

Monday morning came far too soon for Dave. He had spent his weekend hanging out with Azimo and his sister. Puck had looked a little annoyed when he told Lizzie about the kiss and had left for a while. He came back about an hour later with a fake smile on his face, but Dave didn't push the subject.

When it came time to go to bed, Dave wasn't able to fall asleep. He knew he had to be up early-he had to be at the hospital by 7-but sleep just wouldn't come. As he stared at the ceiling thinking about a million different things, he felt his bed dip. Looking away from the ceiling, he saw his mom sitting on his bed, smiling sadly at him. He groaned, covering his eyes.

"Please stop. Just stop following me mom. I can't keep doing this." He flinched as his mother reached up and ran her knuckles down the side of his face. She was still smiling sadly, a small twinkle in her eye.

"My baby's all grown up. Such a beautiful boy, such a smart boy," Mary whispered.

"Mom, please," Dave whimpered, not pulling away.

"Mommy's so proud of you, baby. So, so proud. You've got to be strong for your dad, okay? And for Lizzie, too. She loves you just as much as I do. And I think that little boy at school-what's his name? Kurt?-well I think he needs you too."

"Mom, am I going to be okay?" Dave said, not asking about what she said about Kurt.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Dave closed his eyes as Mary bent over to kiss him on the forehead. When he opened them again, she was gone.

* * *

Paul woke his son around six the next morning, gently shaking him awake. Dave sat up with a sigh, pulling on a pair of basketball shorts and his favorite football hoodie. He walked into the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, and taking his medication. He sat down on the couch, not eating anything for fear that it would just come right back up.

As Dave sat with his eyes closed, Paul rushed around the house making sure they had everything. Dave's old football bag sat by the door, holding his favorite blanket, some homework and a few magazines, a change of clothes, toothbrush and pills. As Paul cut back through the living room, he tossed Dave's pillow at him which his son immediately hugged to his chest. Picking up the admission papers that Dr. Walter had gave them and his car keys, Paul helped Dave up off the couch, picked up his bag and escorted his son to the car.

Lizzie had stayed at her friend Joslyn's the night before. Or so she told Paul, but Dave knew she had stayed at Pucks house. As they were making their way to the hospital, Dave got a text from his sister saying _**"Lizzie Bug loves you! Keep your head up and I'll see you after practice tonight. Muah! Kisses!"**_ Dave grinned, sending her a quick message back. As they pulled into the parking lot, Dave got another message from Azimo, telling he was thinking about him and to let him know how the scans went.

The two Karofsky men walked into registration office, Dave letting his father take over. After the paperwork had been signed, a nurse came and escorted them to the oncology wing on the 5th floor. The nurse, who Dave later learned was named Roslyn, walked Dave into a private room, gesturing to a hospital gown for him to put on. She left the room and came back a few moments later with his chart and an ID bracelet that she snapped around his wrist. Roslyn took all of his vitals, marking them down in the chart. She made small talk as she worked, shooting Dave small smiles every so often. She patted him on the shoulder, letting him know Dr. Walter would be there soon.

"It's going to be okay, David," Paul whispered to his son who was beginning to look pale. "We're just going to stay positive until we get the test results back." Dave nodded, staring at his hands.

"Good morning, gentlemen!" Dr. Walter said with an overly cheerful voice. Dave winced but gave a small smile back. "Okay, let's get this started."

Dave watched as his doctor gave him a shot of something into his upper arm. It stung, but Dave didn't ask what it was. Then, he watched as Dr. Walter opened at plastic pouch, holding a long, skinny plastic tube. One end of the tube that had two parts was attached to two different bag filled with medicine. The other end was screwed into his central line. After making sure everything was hooked up right, Dr. Walter began pressing buttons on the machine, setting the drip rate for how fast the chemotherapy drugs would be entering Dave. He turned and gave Dave a small smile.

"You have two bags of each for today, Dave, so it'll be well into the afternoon before they're done. After lunch we'll take you downstairs for the body scans. Until then, relax and try to get some rest, okay?" Dave nodded, watching as the liquid medicine started to flow into his body.

After a two hour nap, two chapters of math homework, reading his favorite magazine, and picking at his lunch, Dave was relieved to see Roslyn walking into the room with a wheelchair.

"Ready to get these scans over, Dave?" She asked with a smile. She moved the pole that was holding his medicine onto the wheelchair and then helped him sit down.

"I'll wait up here for you, okay David?" Paul asked and Dave nodded. As they made their way downstairs, Dave's mother fell into step next to him, ignoring him again. The flowers on the wallpaper began to dance like the ones from the cartoon Alice and Wonderland and Dave wondered for a moment if this was what it was like to be on drugs. Roslyn talked to him, but he couldn't be bothered to answer him.

Entering the room with the MRI, a technician came up and helped him onto the table, maneuvering the medicine pole so that it wouldn't pull when it slid shut. Dave closed his eyes, trying to stay as still as possible like the lab tech had told him. He tried to think positive thoughts, but he could hear Charlie panting somewhere near his head and he knew it wasn't working. After the procedure was done, he was helped back into his chair.

"Was there any?" Dave asked as Roslyn pushed him back to his room.

"…Just wait until you here from Dr. Walter, sweetie." Dave sighed, crawling back into his bed and falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Kurt sat in the football stands, opting to eat his lunch alone and away from his friends. He was staring off into space more than eating, and his mind kept wandering to the events from the past few days.

After Puck had left Saturday night, Kurt had cried for another half an hour. He knew he should have told Blaine what happened-letting it happen fast like tearing off a band-aid. But he stayed quiet and laid in his boyfriend's arms until he fell asleep. Puck's words kept ringing through his head and Kurt began to feel even guiltier as time went by. Just as he was drowning in his own thoughts, someone stepped in front of Kurt, casting him in a shadow.

"Listen, Hummel," Azimo said, staring down at the smaller boy. "My boy likes you. And while I was completely shocked that he was gay in the first place and about had a heart attack when he told me he liked you, I'm not going to let you screw him over. I know Dave wasn't the easiest person to be around last year and he made a lot of mistakes. And I know you probably think that you have the upper hand because you're comfortable with your sexuality and he's definitely not. But I'm not going to sit back and watch you drag him around, okay? He has enough problems without your stupid little head games. Either break up with your little boyfriend and be with Dave, or leave him alone. Simple as that."

Kurt bit his lip, playing with the cuff of his sweater. He knew he had brought this on himself, but he really didn't need everyone reminding him that he was being a douche bag.

"I…I feel horrible, Azimo. I really do."

"Hey-don't tell me. Trust me, just looking at you I can tell you feel bad. But Dave needs someone who's going to be there for him right now, man. He's going through hell and he doesn't need to be screwed with. So…If you pull your head out of your ass, then hey! Go for it, 'cause I know Dave likes you. But just be careful with him." Kurt nodded, but Azimo was already walking down the stands, heading for the school.

* * *

Dave was woke up by Lizzie squealing and running into his room. She toed off her shoes before crawling up to cuddle with her brother. He noticed that the tube had been disconnected from his central line while he was asleep and that he felt exhausted and a little nauseous. He closed his eyes and listened as his sister told him about her day, running her fingers through his hair. He was almost drifting off to sleep again when there was a knock on the doorframe. Dave sat up slowly, keeping his arm around his sister, as Dr. Walter walked into the room. He slid the test results onto a screen, flipping the light behind them so they were easily visible. Turning back to the Karofsky's, he sighed.

"I'm sorry. We found six, Dave. Two are in your lungs, but they are small enough that they should be easily shrunk with radiation. The other four, unfortunately, are in your brain like you feared." He gestured to the screen, pointing at three dark spots on the picture of Dave's brain. "These three are small, which like the ones in your chest I'm pretty sure will shrink with radiation. However, the last one is big, Dave. Bigger than I'm comfortable with. It's deep, so we aren't going to be able to cut it out right away. We'll start you on radiation later in the week so we can hopefully be able to get them out soon." Dave closed his eyes against the tears and Lizzie tightened her grip on him, kissing his forehead. Paul placed a hand on Dave's knee, squeezing slightly before following the doctor to the hallway.

"Shhh, you're okay. Just let it out, I've got you. Lizzie Bug loves you, Davey. It's going to be okay," Lizzie whispered as Dave cried. His mother sighed, squeezing his knee like his father had before disappearing. And for once, Dave just wished she would stay.

* * *

"Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed with a huge smile on his face when he jumped into the passenger seat. The warbler leaned forward, trying to kiss Kurt on the lips. He squeaked, however, when Kurt turned so Blaine ended up kissing his cheek. "What wrong, Babe?"

"I…I think we need to talk, Blaine," Kurt said softly, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove to the Lima Bean.

"Wha-why?" Blaine asked, looking confused. Kurt sighed, finally meeting the other boy's eyes.

"This isn't working anymore, Blaine. We both know it. All we do is fight or make-out. And while you're such a great kisser, I need more than this." Kurt closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "And-and I'm sorry. I cheated on you…last weekend. That's why Puck was so mad, he knew about it."

The expressions on Blaine's fast changed rapidly. They went from confused, to afraid, to sorrow, to anger.

"You what?" He growled, snapping his head up to look at Kurt. "With who?"

"Dave Ka-Karofsky. Before you say anything-he's changed Blaine. I don't plan on being with him, but for once things just seemed to be normal when I was with him. And it wasn't a forced kiss this time…Well at least not on his part. We haven't been fine since I left, Blaine. Just let me end this while we both have a little bit of dignity left."

"Fine!" Blaine snapped, standing up so fast his chair flipped over. "Run off with the big scary jock! Don't be surprised when he starts shoving you into lockers again when people ask if you're dating!" With that, Blaine turned and stormed out of the coffee shop without looking back.

"He's dying," Kurt whispered with tears in his eyes, knowing that Blaine would never hear him.

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_**AN**__: I hope you liked it. Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 7**

Kurt wasn't sure how he made it home in one piece. After Blaine had stormed out of the coffee shop, Kurt had stumbled to his car only to realize it had started raining outside. He drove as fast as he could out of Westerville, heading home to Lima. About twenty minutes from town, he finally pulled off onto the side of the road and broke into heavy sobs.

He hadn't meant to hurt Blaine. And he sure as hell hadn't meant to get things so screwed up for Karofsky. He sighed. He was just awesome at always screwing things up lately. Finally calming himself down enough and wiped the tears away from his eyes. Kurt pulled out his phone and sent a text to Puck, asking him to meet him at the Hummel-Hudson house. Sighing once again, Kurt put the Navigator in gear and headed off to Lima.

When he pulled in his driveway, Puck was waiting in his truck watching his windshield wipers run across the windshield. Kurt jumped out of the car, knocking on the trucks window as he ran past to get out of the rain. A few seconds later Puck followed him into the house with his hood up.

"Finn's here, you could have came inside," Kurt mumbled.

"It's fine."

Kurt lead the way to his room after making Puck take his shoes off. He kept sniffling, about to cry again. Curling up in his bed with his back against the headboard, Kurt let a few tear escape his eyes before shaking his head and wiping at his face.

"What happened?" Puck asked, not looking away from Kurt.

"I ended it with Blaine," Kurt said in a voice barely over a whisper.

"Yeah?" Puck asked. "And what's your plan now?"

"I don't have one. I'm going to leave Karofsky alone, if that what you're getting at. I know he doesn't need to deal with me now. I'll keep my distance." Kurt hugged his knees to his chest feeling miserable. Another sob snuck its way out of his chest and he buried his face in his knees.

"Kurt, look. I'm not saying you have to keep away. Just…when you were Blaine it would have made things worse for him and we both know he doesn't need that. If you broke it off with Blaine then hell! Go talk to Dave! I'm sure he could use another friendly face." Kurt simply shook his head, taking in a shuddering breath as he wiped at the tears in his eyes.

"No. Being alone for a while is what I need, Puck. And I'm not going to be with him and fall for him just to have him die. You said yourself his chances aren't that great. I'm not going to get hurt like that." Kurt ducked his head again as Puck looked at him with a sad expression. "Look-I just wanted you to know that I ended it. Can you just go now? Please?" With a sigh, Puck nodded and headed for the door, not before stopping and squeezing Kurt's shoulder.

* * *

Wednesday morning found Dave having his first radiation treatment. After Dr. Walter had told Dave about the tumors, he was sent home to get some rest. He went to school the next day, exhausted and nauseous as ever. He spent most of his free time avoiding the football team who wanted to know why he had quit. He had ran into Kurt once and tried to talk to the smaller boy, but Kurt had simply walked away from him. Dave was surprised at how much that hurt.

Dave sat back in the wheelchair, letting Roslyn push him down to the treatment room. He knew the doctor said it wouldn't hurt, but he was nervous. There were marker lines on his chest for where the radiation was going to be aimed and he had to stop himself from rubbing them. When they reached the treatment, Roslyn squeezed his shoulder.

"I'll be back down in a little while to get you, okay Dave? You're going to be just fine." Dave nodded, biting his lip. He carefully got out of the chair and laid on the bed where the technician told him to lie. He had to take his shirt off and he felt extremely uncomfortable. After adjusting something on the large machine that hung over Dave, the technician turned around.

"His, I'm Josh. I'm going to be in charge of the duration treatment. You'll be seeing me once or twice every week for about 4 weeks." Dave nodded, biting his lip again. "Just relax. I'm going to adjust your body how I need it to be and then we'll be all set."

Dave stared at the ceiling as Josh's surprisingly gentle hands began moving him. His arms were spread away from his body slightly and his legs pushed so they were together. Josh gently tilted Dave's head in a correct position. He stepped away for a moment before returning with what looked like a mesh mask.

"Don't panic," he said with a smile. '_Too late_,' Dave thought but didn't say anything. "This is just an immobilizing device. It's hard for people to stay still for a long amount of time-we get that. But I need you to stay still so this is the most effective. It just goes on over your head and we clip it to the table under you, okay."

"Y-yeah," Dave stuttered, closing his eyes as the device came closer to his face. After everything was ready, Josh placed a comforting hand on Dave's shoulder.

"Okay, we're going to get started. I'm just going to be right on the other side of that door, okay? Just take deep breaths and stay calm. It's not going to hurt at all."

As the machine above him started to whir, Dave closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths. Josh had been right, it didn't hurt. In fact, Dave didn't even really feel anything. As he lay there, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. He thought of Kurt and how amazing the kiss had been the previous week. He wondered if Kurt ever thought of him, or if he was too busy with his boyfriend from that fancy prep school. He desperately wanted to talk to his crush, but Kurt had made it very clear he wanted nothing to do with his former tormentor.

Sometimes Dave just didn't understand how his life was so unfair. He had lost his mother when he was ten-just when he needed her the most. She, too, had had leukemia. Cancer had been very prominent on the Rhoades side of the family, and Marry along with her two sisters, father, uncle, and grandmother had been diagnosed with it at some point or the other. This caused the doctors to be worried about Dave and Lizzie. Every appointment they had came with some kind of blood test looking for abnormalities. Up until now, they had always been lucky and Dave snorted at the irony that it was him that ended up being sick. Just another thing to be added to his list.

Then there was the fact that he was gay. Growing up, he was always so sure that being gay was a choice and he never understood why someone would choose that. But now, after come to the realization that he himself was gay, he knew that no one would ever choose this. He felt wrong, unholy and unworthy of his family and friends support. He wondered what his late grandfather would say if he was here now and shuddered. He had been so sure that everyone would leave him. And even though he had came out to his family and best friend, he still wasn't comfortable being who he was.

The last thing Dave thought of was Kurt. He had liked the boy since they were in middle school. Of course, Dave hadn't realized at the time that he liked Kurt-he was sure he was straight, you see. But as the two boys got older and entered high school, Dave saw Kurt differently. He wasn't just the other kid in his class whose mother had died. He wasn't the smart kid who rubbed in his face. And he wasn't even the fairy who wore more girl clothes than guys. No, Kurt was charming, smart and cunning. He had a great since of humor and cared about just about everyone-even if he always had his bitch face on. Had Dave been more sure of himself, he probably would have been friends with Kurt. But because he was afraid of what people would say, he made the smaller teens life a living hell every day. And looking back, he knew he would do it different if he could. It hurt being the only one Kurt Hummel didn't care about.

Before Dave knew it, the treatment was over. Josh came back into the room, gently removing the face mask. Dave was taken for another scan so the doctors could track if the tumors were shrinking or not. After that, Roslyn was back to take him upstairs for another round of chemo. Shortly after entering his bed, Dave was fast asleep, dreaming of kissing Kurt Hummel and them both liking it.

* * *

Kurt's world was falling apart. He knew he shouldn't complain-he didn't have cancer, he was the one who cheated on his boyfriend, he was alone because his own actions. But as time went own he was becoming depressed.

He had seen Dave a few times in the hall, still attending as much school as possible until he was too sick to do so. He looked a lot paler than he had been before, and Kurt could tell the jock was losing weight. Kurt had tried to talk to him once. The former jock's eyes had been glassed over and Kurt wondered what kind of pain killers the doctor's had him on. When the gleek had taken a step towards him, Dave had froze, meeting Kurt's eyes for only a moment before giving him a small shake of his head. He had then side stepped Kurt, holding tight to his little sister's hand.

As Dave pushed Kurt away, Kurt started pulling away from everyone-Mercedes, the rest of the glee kids, Finn, his dad and Carole. The only person he talked to-but only on really bad days-was Puck. Puck knew what he was thinking, and would spend days trying to convince him to go talk to Dave. Kurt always denied it.

After a month and a half of treatment, Dave stopped coming to school and Kurt stopped going to Glee. When it had been announced that Dave Karofsky had cancer, the glee club had had mixed reactions. Some people, mostly the girls were worried about him. Mercedes had kept quiet-confused if it was okay for her to worry about the boy who had threatened to kill Kurt. Artie had agreed with the girls, stating how horrible cancer was. Puck, who had already known kept quiet; so did Mike and Finn. Surprisingly it was Sam and Rachel who reacted the worse.

"Good," Rachel had said, turning her nose up. "Karma for being such a homophobe." Kurt had froze, staring at her like she had lost her mind.

"I agree. He doesn't need our sympathy. In fact-he doesn't deserve it." As the glee club turned on each other, Kurt had rose from his chair quickly before running from the room. As he rounded the corner he could still hear Puck yelling at Rachel and Sam.

He ran until he reached the bleachers, falling onto the first row as the football team finished their practice. It was weird to look at the team and not see Dave, and Kurt felt a little pang in his heart at the thought. For as long Kurt could remember Dave had been playing football. The only year he could remember Dave missing was the year the boy's mother had died.

Kurt continued to stare at the field, lost in thought. He was unconsciously ringing his hands and alternated between bringing them up to his chest and resting them in his lap. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Azimo climb the bleachers, his cleats clicking on the aluminum surface.

"He's getting worse," the left guard said in a quiet voice, causing Kurt to jump. Azimo sat down, stretching his legs out as he stared out towards the fifty yard line. He continued talking without waiting for Kurt to respond. "His…white blood cell? Yeah-his white blood cell count is too low and he can't really leave the hospital since their afraid he'll get sick and his body won't be able to fight it off."

"I-I-I haven't r-really heard what's been going on with him," Kurt whispered, knowing Azimo had heard him.

"They had him going through radiation. There were a bunch of tumors in his brain and a couple in his lungs. Most of them have more or less disappeared with the radiation treatment, but there are like two that are still in his brain. They're talking about going in next week to try to cut them out. He'd have to stay in a clean room until the wound healed or whatever, but it's better than hallucinating all the time, you know?"

"He's hallucinating?" Kurt squeaked, turning to look at Azimo.

"Has been for a while, even before he was diagnosed. It's kind of freaking, you know?" Kurt nodded. Both boys were silent for a while, watching the October leaves blow across the football field. Azimo was the one who finally broke the silence, taking a deep breath before turning his head to look at the former kicker.

"He's never going to admit it-still too proud and everything-but he misses you. I don't know what was going on with you two other than the kiss, but it seemed to be enough for him. Just…I don't know, just think about going to see him. Please? It would mean a lot to him."

"I'll think about it," Kurt whispered, taking in a shuttering breath. He jumped when Azimo's hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"That's all I ask," the football player said before taking off for the locker room.

* * *

_**AN:**__ I hope you guys liked it. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews you guys have been giving me-it means a lot! Please keep reviewing._


	8. Chapter 8

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 8**

"Hey Dad?"

Burt Hummel looked up over the hood of the car he was currently working on, surprised to see his son standing there. For some reason Kurt had started to avoid pretty much everyone and everything-the shop included. Burt was really starting to worry about him. Kurt shifted nervously under his father's gaze and Burt decided to take mercy on him.

"Hey buddy," he said, standing up and wiping his hands off. "What's going on?"

"Can…Can we talk?" Kurt asked biting his lip. Burt squinted at him but nodded, gesturing to his office.

"Let's go in here, Kurt." After both Hummel men were sat around the desk, Burt looked up at his son. "What's going on, Kurt?" he asked again.

"Before…before I say anything you have to promise not to get mad." Kurt said in a quiet voice and Burt felt his stomach twist.

"I'll try," the older man said, and that seemed to be enough for Kurt.

"A little over a month ago, Dave-I mean Karfosky- apologized to me. He's-he's gay, Dad, but not many people know yet. And we were talking and I just kind of kissed him. I don't really know why. But that's why Blaine and I broke up."

Burt stared at his son in shock. This seemed so unlike Kurt.

"I wanted to get to know him better, you know? Who was behind the closeted jerk, but I was really mean to him and Puck and his friend keep telling me to stay away and I've been trying. But he's sick, Dad. He has leukemia. It's bad enough he can't come to school anymore. And I'm worried about him. I don't know what to do."

Burt sighed, taking his hat off and running a hand over his head. Kurt had tears running down his face and Burt could see that his son was visibly shaking. Reaching across the desk, the mechanic took his son's hand in his. Looking into Kurt's eyes he saw some kind of sincerity.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Kurt nodded. "You remember everything this kid did to you, right?" Kurt nodded again. "Well, Kurt, if you really care about this boy and you truly think he's changed…Go talk to him. I mean, I can't say I'm particularly pleased. I was just getting used to Bland-I mean Blaine-being around all the time. But it's your life and your decisions." Kurt bit his lip and nodded his head.

"I'm scared," he whispered, meeting his father's eyes. "He's really sick. They didn't catch it until really late so now it's like they're playing catch up? I guess? I haven't talked to him since before he started treatment, Puck and Azimo have just been telling me…. What if he dies, Dad? I'm not sure if I can handle that." Burt gave his son a kind smile, squeezing his shoulder.

"You'll be surprised what you can handle for the person you lo-like. Now go talk this boy. If he's as sick as you say I'm sure he'd love a friendly face right about now." Kurt gave his dad a small smile before rounding the desk and hugging the older man tightly.

"Thanks, Dad," Kurt said with his eyes shut, taking in the familiar smell of gasoline, Old Spice, sweat and motor oil- a smell that was entirely Burt Hummel. "I love you."

"I love you too, Buddy."

* * *

Dave sat on his bed, staring at the tv but not really seeing it. He tugged at his t-shirt, glad to be able to leave real clothes on rather than having to be in a hospital gown all the time. When his dad had tossed the package of v-neck shirts at him, Dave had stared at Paul like he was nuts-this was something Puck would wear. But the low neck of the shirt gave the doctor an easy way to get to his central line without making him wear a dress.

He knew he wasn't getting much better. In fact, he felt worse than ever before. A couple small soars had formed in his mouth, making it hard to eat. And even if he did eat, he was never able to keep it down long. Dave currently had a fever, making it hard for him to decide if he wanted to be under the covers or on top of them. He could hear the doctors talking in the hall about how treatment wasn't working and his blood cell count being too low. And surprisingly, he was kind of okay with it. When they told him he had cancer he knew he was going to die. He just had to make it through all the symptoms to get there. The worst being was the hallucinations.

Dave had thought he was used to them by now. He had been having them for almost four months now and it was nothing new for Charlie to come wobbling into the room in the middle of the night, his mother to watch his with a 'I know something you don't know' grin on her face, or for inanimate objects to talk to each other. No, these were all things Dave was used to. But recently, his mind was getting more creative; the needle that gave him a shot of pain killers before treatment started would seem to grow three feet and laugh and point at him as it was going into his arm. His dinner would crawl around his plate, making it almost impossible to stab something with the fork the first time. And his minds current favorite-Dr. Walter coming into the room.

Four times in the past week Dave had imagined the doctor coming into his room and telling him he was free to go home for a few days. Each time, Dave would crawl out of bed-still hooked up to machines-and try to get dressed, only to find out he really wasn't strong enough to support himself for so long anymore. He normally would then fall and only be found by a nurse on rounds a few minutes later. Because it was happening so frequently, Dr. Walter had insisted on turning the alarm on Dave's bed on so the nurses would know when he was up. Now when the doctor came to talk to Dave it took a little convincing he was the real thing.

Dave sighed, rubbing his aching head. At that moment, the doctors were still trying to decide if it was safe to operate on him and remove the tumors. They had changed their minds at least three times already and currently the surgery was off. Dave wasn't quite sure what he felt about that. On one hand it would be nice to be free of these major headaches and hallucinations. On the other hand, he was terrified something might go wrong. He had decided to stop worrying and just let the doctors decide what to do. At least he didn't have to do anymore radiation for now.

He closed his eyes and listened hard, trying to pick Lizzie's footsteps out of the ones walking outside his room. His sister had gone to get him some ice chips-something that wouldn't annoy the sores in his mouth. She had been laying with him all morning, even if the hospital bed was a little small for the two of them. Since Paul had had to go to work that day, he allowed Lizzie to stay at the hospital with Dave. Dave was just drifting off when he heard Lizzie's voice outside the door.

"I…I'm glad you're doing this. I think he needs it. Just…just don't start any arguments and don't get him stressed out, okay? Give him these and tell him I'll be back in a little bit." Dave furrowed his brow wondering who was going to come into his room. Worried, he quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Soft footsteps-not soft enough to be a woman but too soft to be any man Dave could think of-could be heard from the doorway, a glass was set on the night stand and a cold hand was placed on Dave's arm.

"Dave?" Kurt asked quietly, holding his breath. The former jock swallowed thickly before opening his eyes wide with fear.

"No," Dave whimpered, assuming Kurt was a hallucination. It had to be a trick of the mind because Dave had never seen Kurt Hummel wear a hoodie or sweatpants, ever. Unless you counted when he was a cheerio, but whatever. "It's not real, Karofsky. Snap out of it."

"Dave?" Kurt said again, furrowing his brow in confusion. "What do you mean it's not real? I came to talk to you." It took a moment for Kurt to understand what was going on. '_The hallucinations, dumbass!_' he said in his head before turning back to Dave.

"Dave," he said softly, barely heard over the larger boys whimpering. "Dave, I promise you I'm real. I know you can sing and play guitar. I know you're gay, but haven't came out to many people yet. I know you're an awesome kisser and your mouth almost always tastes like pizza and mint. Would a hallucination know all of that?" Dave thought for a moment. There was a good chance a hallucination would know all of those things, but he shook the thought away. With some convincing, Dave finally realized Kurt was really standing in front of him. Suddenly self-conscious he tugged at his shirt and ran a hand through his hair, not meeting the diva's eyes.

"Ku-Hummel. What are you doing here?" Dave mumbled. Kurt sat in the chair next to the bed, pushing the cup of ice chips at Dave.

"I came to see how you were doing. And to talk, hopefully?" Dave nodded and Kurt took a big breath before continuing. "I'm sorry-for everything. I know I didn't make things any better that day, and I especially made them worse telling you to just forget it. I just have…all these feelings. It's weird, you know? I was so sure I was in love with Blaine. He was so sweet when I transferred and we really were happy together. But then we couldn't do the long distance thing well and the fights started coming like all the time. But I thought I was in love so that was the only reason I was holding on." Kurt took another deep breath, tighting his grip on the handles of the chair.

"There's something about you, Dave. I don't know what it is-but I find it extremely attractive and interesting. That…that day it was like a different side of you. You were so sweet and kind of romantic, and I of course ruined it by throwing myself at you and then telling you off the next day. But since you've been going through treatment, even though I haven't talked to you, I just see that sweet Dave more and more. And I like you. A lot more than I ever planned. And I told myself to stay away and to make this situation easier on the both of us. But I want to get to know this sweet Dave more. And I kind of, maybe, wanna be with you. If you still want me…" Kurt trailed off, looking down. Dave shut his eyes, letting out a snort as he shook his head.

"I'm dying, Hummel," Dave mumbled, and Kurt was worried that there wasn't any fight in his voice.

"You can't just give up, Dave," the diva whispered as he reached out and slid his hand into Dave's. The gentle sound of hospital equipment that surrounded them seemed unnervingly loud and the room suddenly seemed too small.

"This is just great. Just fucking great," Dave said, running his free hand over his tired face. "Do you know how long I've wanted you? How fucking long I've been hiding this from everyone? Way before that first stupid kiss, that's for sure. And I know you'd never want me. I mean look at me, who would? But now that I'm dying you're going to pretend that you want me? I don't want your pity, Hummel."

"I'm not pitting you. I swear. I'd like to think I've gotten to know you. I understand why you are the way you are. And I know you're scared. Just…If you really are dying, then give me this one last chance to truly know you. And to forgive you. I don't want you to give up. That's not the Dave Karofsky I know."

Dave was exhausted. But as he looked into Kurt Hummel's green eyes, everything seemed to be okay. Well, not okay. It was just something he could bare. Laying his head back into the pillow, taking comfort as the machine pumped some more pain killers into his central line, Dave sighed.

"Fine, Hu-Kurt. Please don't make me regret this." Kurt grinned squeezing Dave's hand. Dave smiled slightly, flinching as a sharp stab worked itself through his head.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked worriedly, scooting closer to the bed.

"Yeah, just tired," Dave whispered back at his…friend? Boyfriend? He wasn't sure what Kurt was right now but he was too tired to ask.

"Then get some sleep."

"Stay?" Dave asked in a small voice, his eyes already drifting shut.

"Of course," Kurt whispered back, reaching a hand up to play with Dave's curls. He ran his fingers through Dave's hair, tugging only slightly. He couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his lips when a chunk of the now sleeping boy's hair came out easily in his hand. Dave was starting to lose his hair.

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_**AN**__: I hope you liked it. Please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 9**

Dave sat in his kitchen, furrowing his brow at the four boys standing in front of him. Dr. Walter had finally allowed him to go home for a few days when his white blood cell count went up. He had to wear a mask when going outside or around large groups of people so he didn't get sick, but he figured he could deal with that. Dave sighed, running a hand over his newly bald head, sighing at his friends.

"Seriously? You guys don't have to shave your heads for me. It's fine." Azimo smiled, taking a step forward and throwing his arm around his best friend.

"Dude, we want to do this. Even if you won't admit it, you like your hair. Think of it as moral support!"

"Yeah, man!" Puck said with a grin. "I'm practically bald anyway. It won't be that much of a difference."

"I…I guess I don't really care," Finn said, shooting a look at Kurt who returned the gaze with a pointed look.

"You know I'd shave mine. But you told me I couldn't pull it off. So these guys are going to take me place," Kurt said with a small smile. Dave timidly smiled back, shaking his head.

"Well I know I can't talk your stubborn asses out of anything. Fine, go ahead."

Azimo, Puck and Finn took turns sitting at the bar stool in the kitchen as Kurt ran the clippers over their heads. Dave watched as the hair fell in clumps on the newspapers on the ground, suddenly wishing that losing his hair had been his choice. It was stupid, he knew, but he liked his curls. They were part of who he was and being without them made him feel naked.

After the boys were done, they came up to Dave, huge grins on their face. Kurt snapped a picture of all of them (the photo would later go on a board in Dave's hospital room when he was moved in for the long haul). The three jocks patted their former teammate on the shoulder before making their way out of the house, leaving Dave alone with Kurt.

"So," Kurt said, shifting uncomfortably.

"So," Dave answered looking up into Kurt's eyes.

"What are we?" Kurt blurted out, his cheeks turning red. He had wanted to talk about this since that day in the hospital, but the two boys were rarely left alone and when they were Dave normally fell asleep shortly after. Dave shifted in his chair, looking at his hands.

"What do you want to be?" He asked quietly. Kurt bit his lip, furrowing his brow before speaking.

"I…I think I want to be with you…" He answered, smiling slightly when Dave's head shot up to look at him.

"Really?" he breathed out, his face forming into a small smile.

"Ye-yeah. I just…I'm scared, you know? I mean this isn't just regular relationship nerves. You're sick. And as much as I used to pride myself on pretending I didn't care, I do. And I'm scared that if you don't get better I'm not going to be able to take it that well…" Dave nodded, knowing exactly what Kurt was thinking.

"I'm still fighting," He whispered, not meeting Kurt's eyes again.

"I know," the gleek answered, puling Dave into a tight hug. He bent down and kissed Dave lightly, one hand gripping Dave's shoulder. "Just don't give up on fighting. Don't give up on me."

* * *

"Ugh," Dave groaned, leaning back from the pan he had just been throwing up in. He was back in the hospital for another round of chemo and the doctors had finally decided to go ahead with the surgery. He would be going under the knife the next day and he was beyond nervous. He took comfort as Kurt carefully climbed onto the bed next to him, pulling him into an awkward hug. One of Kurt's cold hands rested against Dave's too hot head and the boy sighed in relief.

"How you feeling?" Kurt asked quietly and Dave chuckled at the stupid question.

"Just peachy," he said sarcastically, turning to grin at Kurt.

"Okay, I know that was stupid. But still, I worry about you." He bent down and kissed the sick boy's forehead.

"I'm okay, I guess. It's been worse before." Kurt gave him a sad smile but nodded. "I'm just nervous about tomorrow, you know? What if something goes wrong and I don't wake up? Or what if I can't talk? Or take care of myself? I don't really want to spend my life as a vegetable if at all possible."

"Don't talk like that!" Kurt growled, giving Dave a stern look. "Every things going to be fine, you'll see. They're going to remove these stupid tumors and you're going to beat this. Just one step at a time!" Dave looked down, reminding himself that he had something to live for now. He nodded, pulling Kurt close to him.

"I know, babe," he whispered, kissing his boyfriend's cheek before falling asleep.

* * *

That night, Dave laid awake when he knew he should be sleeping. The sound of the hospital seemed unnaturally loud and he couldn't force himself to close his eyes. He sighed as he turned to his mom. She was on the chair next to his bed, her head tilted to the side as she watched him.

"Davey?" She said, and he couldn't help jumping in surprise. She'd only ever talked to him once before.

"M-m-mom?" he asked, turning to her with wide eyes.

"I love you, you know that right? And I miss you and your dad and your sister all the time. And why I'd love for you to be with me, it can't be right now, Davey. You have to fight for mommy, okay?"

"I'm scared," Dave said, tears filling his eyes.

"I know, baby," his mom whispered, her hand hovering over his face but not actually touching him. "But you're strong, so strong. I know you can do this."

"Don't leave me, mom," He whispered.

"I'll be gone when you get out of surgery. But I love you so much."

"No! Don't go!" Dave reached out for his mom, but she was already gone.

* * *

The next morning Kurt arrived at the hospital early. He sat with Dave as he was prepared for surgery. The two boys sat holding hands, Dave squeezing tightly for support. Just before Dave was taken into the OR, he turned to Kurt and gazed up in his eyes.

"I'm scared."

"Me too," Kurt whispered back, bending down to kiss Dave gently. "But I know you're going to be okay. You'll see. I'll be here when you wake up." Dave smiled slightly before laying back in the bed as the nurse pushed his bed down the hallway.

Paul, Lizzie and Azimo sat in Dave's room, waiting for him to wake up. A thick bandage was wrapped around his head and breathing tubes were up his nose to help get the anesthetic out of his body. Kurt had ran home to take a shower and change his clothes, not expecting Dave to wake up any time soon. When Dave whimpered and began to shift, Azimo sat up straight in his chair.

"Hey man!" he whispered, smiling at Dave. Dave nodded, whimpering again when his head hurt. "They said everything went well. They got all the tumors out, or at least as far as they can tell they did."

Dave nodded again, looking down at his hands.

"Kurt's going to be mad he wasn't here when you woke up. He just ran home to change his clothes. He should be back soon," Lizzie said, grinning at her brother. Dave furrowed his brow before looking up. He swallowed thickly before asking:

"Who's Kurt?"

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_**AN**__: I hope you guys liked it! Please review!_


	10. Chapter 10

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 10**

"Mr. Karofsky, your son just had major brain surgery. Some temporary memory loss is to be expected," Dr. Walter explained in the hallway after Dave had fallen asleep again. He remembered who everyone was, that Lizzie was dating Puck, that he had cancer, that he was gay and out of the closet, and about the hallucinations. Dave just didn't remember Kurt, like, at all. "It could just be a left over reaction to the anesthetic."

"But Dr. Walter, he just can't remember one particular person. Albeit, a very important person," Paul replied quietly, shooting a look down the hall where his daughter stood with Puck and Azimo.

"Are their strong memories attached to this person? Maybe some bad memories?" Dr. Walter asked, and Paul shook his head while his bit his lip. "Dave's mind might just be suppressing those memories, efficiently suppressing this person. Just give him a little time, Paul. He just woke up."

Lizzie watched as Paul and Dr. Walter parted ways, Paul going to sit with Dave.

"Kurt is going to freak out," Puck, who had arrived shortly after Dave woke up, said, running a hand through his mohawk.

"Shouldn't we, like, warn him?" Azimo asked, shifting uncomfortably. "I mean if my boo just suddenly didn't even know who the fuck I was I would want to know before I walked into the room."

"Well here's our chance," Lizzie said bitterly, pointing at Kurt who was walking towards the room.

"Shit," Puck hissed. "Kurt!" he yelled, running up to meet the boy.

"Puck," Kurt said with a smile. "Is Dave awake yet? I was gone a little longer than I expected-Finn set the toaster on fire again."

Puck had to stop himself from laughing at Finn, remembering what he was supposed to tell Kurt. He grabbed Kurt's arm, pulling him towards the small waiting room at the end of the hallway and pushed him into a chair until crouching down in front of him.

"Kurt, um," he began, no idea how to break this to Kurt. "Dave woke up for a little bit. But, um, he's having trouble remembering…"

"Like, everything?" Kurt asked, furrowing his brow in worry. Puck swallowed thickly, looking away from Kurt.

"No, just you."

* * *

Dave shifted in bed, feeling like someone was watching him. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting his sister to be sitting next to him. He was surprised to see a short attractive boy with tears in his eyes sitting there instead. The boy was sobbing quietly, his fist practically shoved in his mouth to keep the sound from getting too loud. Dave wondered for a moment about why the boy was so upset or why he was in Dave's room. But there was one question that seemed more important.

"Who are you?" Dave asked, shifting so he could see the boy better. The boy let out a shuddering breath, wiping at the tears in his eyes.

"K-K-Kurt," the boy stuttered quietly, not meeting Dave's eyes.

'_So this is the boy that everyone seems to think I should know_.' Dave thought, his eyes never leaving Kurt.

"I'm sorry. Everyone says we're close and I should know who you are, but I seriously have no idea. How…I mean what are we?" Kurt swallowed thickly as another shuddering breath forced itself out of his body.

"We're…you're my boyfriend," Kurt whispered, before breaking into more tears and getting up and fleeing from the room.

"Well shit," Dave said, laying back and trying to think.

* * *

Kurt sat next to Dave's bed, watching him sleep. Dr. Walter kept telling him it was temporary, but it had been almost a week and Dave still had no idea who Kurt was. And that scared Kurt. They had both came so far-from hating each other, to hurting each other, to liking each other, to being together. And Kurt was almost sure he loved Dave. He had wanted to say it before the surgery but he had been too afraid. Now he just thought he was stupid.

Sighing, Kurt went back to what he was working on. A large bulletin board sat in his lap and he was attaching pictures to it. The doctors had told them that Dave wouldn't be going home for a while and to try to make his room comfortable for him. A large picture of the two of them, shortly after Dave had lost his hair, was in the middle of the board. Dave was sitting on at a kitchen chair at home and Kurt was behind him, leaning down so he could hug Dave from behind. They both looked so happy.

Other pictures included: Lizzie and Dave cuddling on his hospital bed, Finn, Puck, and Azimo after they too had shaved their heads, a family picture from before Dave's mother had died, the team pictures from both football and hockey, and various sporting event pictures. There were a few more of Dave and Kurt, but not many because Dave always felt too sick to participate in picture taking.

Just as Kurt was finishing the picture board, Dave began to wake. The two had had a few strained conversations since the fateful day where Dave forgot him, but he still wasn't any closer to remembering. Kurt would spend hours with Dave, telling him about all the fights they had had before they got together. He told Dave about the kiss, the expulsion, about Kurt transferring and Dave apologizing after he was diagnosed. He told him about the second kiss and how Kurt had been a right jerk. Dave always listened, but never knew what Kurt was talking about.

"Hey," he said sleepily, giving a small smile to Kurt. "What's that?"

"Um, a picture board. Dr. Walter said you won't be going home for a while so we should try to make your room comfortable." Kurt rose and stood next to the bed but didn't climb on like he so wished to do. Dave seemed to read his mind, scooting over lightly.

"You can sit with me, if you want," the sick boy said quietly. "And maybe you can show me this board you've been working on." Kurt nodded, toeing off his shoes before carefully climbing onto the bed next to Dave, the board spread across their laps.

Dave looked at the board, focusing hard. He hadn't said anything to Kurt because he felt bad for getting the boys hopes up, but he was pretty sure he was starting to remember things. The fights in the hallway, the expulsion, and Kurt leaving were already coming back. That, and kissing someone he couldn't really see in the locker room.

He looked down at the board, running his fingers over the family pictures attached in the corner. Dave moved his eyes to the hockey pictures, all grouped together in the bottom right hand corner. He sighed, suddenly missing being on the ice. He then moved to a group of football pictures, smiling when he saw the winning score on the scoreboard in the background. In the top left hand corner were friends and family pictures, him and Lizzie almost always touching in each one. The center held mostly pictures of Dave and Kurt.

"We're happy, aren't we?" Dave asked, running his finger over a picture were the two boys were laughing at the camera and moving them down to a picture where he and Kurt were asleep in what looked like the same very room they were in now.

"I'd like to think so," Kurt answered back quietly, not looking at Dave or the board. Dave sighed, looking back at the pictures. That was when one particular picture caught his eye. It was the big one in the middle, Kurt hugging him from behind as he sat in his kitchen.

_"I…I think I want to be with you…" Kurt said, smiling slightly when Dave's head shot up to look at him._

"Shit," Dave said excitedly with a snort. Everything was coming back to him then. Memories of Kurt being in his class when they were younger and of throwing the smaller boy in the dumpster and slamming him into the lockers flashed through his mind. He remembered slushing all of Kurt's friends but never Kurt because he liked the boy. He remembered all kinds of feelings about how he wanted to be with Kurt. Dave remembered the first time he and Kurt kiss-or at least the one that counted-in his kitchen, and being so excited because even though he was sick something was finally going right. He reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand, a big smile creeping onto his tired face.

"Babe," he started, chuckling when Kurt jumped. "I remember."

"Oh thank God!" Kurt whimpered, pulling Dave in for a strong hug, kissing the other boy deeply before he could stop himself. "I missed you so much. Don't scare me like that ever again."

"I'll try, babe," Dave whispered, taking comfort in Kurt's arms.

* * *

Dave laid exhausted in his bed, shaking uncontrollably from cold chills brought on by a too high fever. Kurt sat next to him, running a calming hand over his smooth head and trying to get him to drink water. Dr. Walter was in the hall with Paul, discussing treatment options and starting Dave on a stronger dose of chemo. The doctor suggested that the rest of Dave's family and his friends have their bone marrow type tested to see if it would match Dave's for a transplant.

"I don't want to do this anymore," Dave moaned as he finished throwing up.

"I know, baby," Kurt whispered, placing a cool wash cloth on his boyfriend's forehead. "But you've got to keep fighting for me, okay? Me and your dad and Lizzie and Azimo. Hell, even Puck. We all love you and want you to get better. It's got to start getting better soon." Dave moaned again, taking comfort in the way Kurt's hand was gently rubbing circles on his arm. He soon fell into a fitful sleep, still shaking from the chills.

"I don't know what we're going to do, Kurt," Paul whispered quietly as he sat down next to the gleek. "Dr. Walter is going to put him on a stronger dose of chemo tomorrow until we can find a match for a marrow transplant, but I don't have the same type so I can't even have mine tested let alone give it to him."

Kurt turned, watching Dave shift in his sleep. He had already made up his mind; he just had to get his father's written permission.

"I want to do it, Mr. Karofsky," he said quietly. "I want to give Dave some of my bone marrow."

* * *

_**AN**__: I hope you like it! Please review!_


	11. Chapter 11

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 11**

Kurt sighed, walking his fingers slowly up Dave's arm as the sick boy looked at him with glassy eyes. His breath was coming out in wheezes and every so often his body would be overcome by hacking coughs. A nurse placed a cool wash cloth on Dave's damp forehead before placing oxygen tubes into his nose, helping his to breathe better.

"You don't have to do this, K," Dave whispered, trying to make his eyes focus on his boyfriend. Kurt gave him a small smile, taking Dave's larger hand in his.

"We don't even know if I'm going to be a match, David," Kurt said gently. "Puck, Azimo and I are getting tested this afternoon. We should know tomorrow."

"It's going to hurt' Dave whispered back, closing his eyes as he burrowed his head into his pillow.

"Thank you, David. I had no idea," Kurt said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "But I'm pretty sure I can handle some pain, if it means you being okay." Kurt chuckled, shaking his head when he realized Dave was already asleep and hadn't heard what he had said.

"Kurt?" Roslyn asked from the door. "Dr. Walter said he's ready to get you ready for the test now. Noah and Azimo are already downstairs." Kurt sighed but nodded, leaning down to kiss Dave on the cheek before following the petite nurse out of the room.

* * *

Puck, Azimo and Kurt sat on three different beds that were aligned in a row. At the moment, the curtains between their beds were opened and they were talking quietly too each other.

"Okay," Puck began quietly, staring off into space. "I know I'm a badass, but I'm nervous."

"Yo' man, I know!" Azimo exclaimed, fidgeting slightly. "I mean, I love my man Dave and I'd do anything for him. But I don't know. What if we aren't a match? What if this really hurts? What if-"

"Can we just stop being so negative?" Kurt asked tiredly, running a hand over his eyes. He had spent the past few days sleeping in an uncomfortable chair next to Dave's bed, getting little to know sleep. If he did go home, he simply laid awake and stared at the ceiling, worrying about what was happening to his boyfriend.

"Sorry, Kurt," Puck mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah, dude, sorry," Azimo said, sitting up straight as the doctor walked into the room.

"Okay, gentlemen. Let's get started." Dr. Walter pulled the curtain around Kurt's bed. He started with taking blood from a large vein from Kurt's left arm. He took his vitals, Kurt shifting uncomfortably as the blood pressure cuff tightened around his upper arm. After writing everything down, Dr. Walter turned and gave Kurt a small smile.

"Okay, Kurt, I just need you to pull your pants down so I can get access to your hip bone. I'm going to give you a local anesthetic so all you should feel is pressure." Doing as the doctor said, Kurt closed his eyes as a small needle pierced through his skin. The doctor draped a small curtain over Kurt's hip, marking the area the next needle would be entering with a small pen. "Just lay back and lay still, Kurt. There is going to be a lot of pressure, okay?"

Kurt nodded slightly, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes as a very large needle was pushed into his hip bone. He took deep breathes, his eyes tearing up as the doctor kept telling him they were almost done. Finally the needle was slowly removed, Dr. Walter twisting the sharp from the syringe and putting it in a sharps container on the counter. He placed a cotton ball against Kurt's skin, holding it where a small amount of blood was oozing out. The doctor placed a small band-aid over the spot, patting Kurt on the leg slightly.

"All done. Why don't you lie here for a little while, let the anesthetic wear off first. You'll probably notice that you'll be stiff for a few days, but that's to be expected." Kurt swallowed thickly as he nodded to the older man. "We'll know by tomorrow if you're a match or not."

With that, Dr. Walter handed Kurt's paper's, blood-work, and marrow sample off to Roslyn, removed his gloves and donned a new pair before moving through the curtain to Azimo's bed. Taking a shuttering breath, Kurt laid back and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Lizzie crawled carefully onto Dave's bed, pulling him into her arms. Her eyes moved around the room, landing in turn on her father, her boyfriend, Kurt and Azimo. She felt horrible. She would have been a perfect match to give Dave bone marrow. But Dr. Walter had told her no, stating that she would be a last resort. Since her and Dave shared their mother's blood line, there was a high possibility of cancer being in the blood line.

The father and five teenagers sat on pins and needles waiting for Dr. Walter to come back into the room. Kurt and Azimo were worried that they wouldn't be matches, both wanting to save the boy that meant so much to the in different ways. Puck was nervous, not entirely sure why he was there. It wasn't that he didn't like Dave-in fact, he'd grown to like the boy a lot since he started dating the jock's younger sister. He just really didn't like hospitals or the thought of surgery. He had agreed to get his marrow tested simply for Lizzie, hoping that it would be Azimo or Kurt being a match instead.

The group sat up straighter when Dr. Walter walked into the room, a small smiled on his face. Dave closed his eyes, letting out a shuttering breath as Lizzie placed another cool cloth on his head.

"I have some good news, Dave," Dr. Walter said, clapping his hands together.

"Am I match?" Kurt said excitedly, standing up.

"I'm sorry, Kurt, but no you aren't."

"Then it's me?" Azimo said, also standing.

"No, Azimo." At that, Puck froze, looking up with wide eyes. "Mr. Puckerman, however, is a match."

* * *

A few days later found Puck laying in a prep room, poking slightly at the new IV that had been placed in his arm. Lizzie sat next to him, holding his hand and running a hand over his mohawk. She had been crying off and on; excited about someone being a match for her brother but worried that her boyfriend and brother had to go through surgery. Although Puck had been apprehensive at first, he knew he had to do this; if not for Dave then for Lizzie. Puck looked up to see Kurt cross through the curtain that was separating him from Dave. He gave Lizzie a small smile and they changed places.

"Hey," Kurt said quietly, turning his attention to Puck.

"Hey," he whispered back, playing with the device a nurse had stuck on his finger that supposedly measured his pulse.

"I-I…I wanted to thank you for doing this, Noah," Kurt said, picking at the seam on his shirt. "I know you and Dave weren't always the closest and I know you don't like hospitals. But this means so much to Dave and Lizzie."

"It means a lot to you, too." Puck said, turning to meet Kurt's eyes. The smaller team seemed to hold his breath for a moment before nodding.

"I-I didn't want to. I didn't want to get so close to someone to just have them leave me. And you know how hard things were before he got sick. But he's just a completely different person that I can't imagine being without. I think I love him." Puck gave Kurt a small smile.

"I'm happy for you man. You deserve something good and hopefully Dave will get better soon so you guys can have a long happy life. Have you told him yet?"

"No," Kurt said, shooting a glance at the curtain behind him. "I was going to tell him before they took you guys into surgery but he's already out-they wanted to give him a break from the pain. So I guess I'll have to wait for you guys to get out."

The two gleeks talked quietly until it was time for surgery to begin. Puck watched as he was rolled past Lizzie and Kurt, both wearing looks of apprehension. As the anesthesiologist placed a mask over his mouth and nose and told him to count backwards from one hundred, Puck thought of Kurt and how he had never seen the boy look so happy before.

_"That's reason enough to do this,"_ he thought to himself as everything faded to black.

* * *

_**AN**__: I'm sorry it's taken so long. I've had two tests this week and I've been stressed to the max. And I'm not really sure how to tie everything together yet. But I hope you guys liked it and please review! _


	12. Chapter 12

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Chapter 12**

Dave knew it wasn't real. In fact, he was well aware that he was unconscious. But he was so happy to see his mother that he just didn't care.

"Mom?" He rasped quietly, reaching out a hand to the beautiful woman in front of him.

"My baby," Mary said with a grin, sitting on the edge of his bed as Charlie the dog circled himself before laying down at the foot of the bed. "I'm so proud of you, Davey. You've been so strong."

"I don't want to do this anymore," Dave whispered back, his eyes filling with tears. "It hurts so much, mommy, and I'm so tired of being sick. I just want it to stop."

"I know, baby. But I promise you it's almost over. You've done so well and so many people care about you. Especially that Kurt boy. He's quite cute." Although his skin was pale from being so sick, Dave could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks.

"I love him, Mom. And I want to stay for him. I'm just scared he's only here 'cause I'm sick…" Mary shook her head fiercely, reaching up to brush a tear off of Dave's cheek.

"Trust me, baby. That boy loves you almost as much as you love him. And he would be very upset if you would leave him before you two got a chance to be truly happy; your lives not revolving around a hospital. Just hold out just a while longer baby, you'll see."

"Don't leave me again, Mommy," Dave said in a quiet voice, suddenly afraid of being alone. Mary gave him a small smile before shaking her head and placing a kiss on his smooth head.

"I have to, baby. Seeing me when you're awake is a bad sign, remember? But we'll see each other again someday. Just be happy until then. I love you, David. Always remember that."

"I love you, Mom," he whispered, struggling to stay asleep as consciousness met him again.

* * *

"I'm worried, Kurt," Lizzie whispered, watching Puck toss and turn in a fever ridden sleep. "I mean, I knew it was a risk but I didn't think he'd get sick from the surgery."

Puck had suffered an infection from the incisions and was having trouble fighting it off. While he had been released from the hospital the night of the surgery, he was admitted again a couple days later when the infection seemed to get worse.

"I know, Liz," Kurt said quietly, shooting a quick look to the door. "Just give him a couple days to get better. Dr. Walter said that this was extremely rare and they've started him on drugs to make it better so we just have to wait and see." Hugging the younger girl, Kurt patted Puck on the hand slightly before walking out of the room towards the elevator. He made his way to Dave's room, toeing off his shoes before gently climbing up next to his boyfriend.

"Hey," Dave whispered quietly with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Kurt whispered back, kissing Dave on the cheek.

"A lot better than I have in a while," Dave said, and he truly looked like it. Although the surgery hadn't been that long ago, color was already starting to creep back into Dave's skin and his white blood cell count was already going up. Dr. Walter was continuously monitoring him to make sure his body didn't reject the donation and was very hopeful that Dave would be able to go home soon.

"I'm glad," Kurt said, grinning brightly.

"How's Puck?" Dave asked, furrowing his brow. Kurt sighed slightly.

"Sleeping. They've got him on IV antibiotics hoping they'll treat the infection faster. He's got a pretty high fever but Dr. Walter said that him sleeping it off would help a lot."

"I feel bad," Dave said, looking down at his hands. Kurt sighed, intertwining his hand in his boyfriends.

"Don't feel bad, David. You're getting better because of this surgery; never feel bad for being able to live. And I'm sure Puck will be better soon, you'll see. Although his was a little apprehensive going into this, he knew what he was doing. It'll be okay." Kurt swallowed thickly before squeezing Dave's hand tight. "I love you, Dave. I love you so much. Don't you dare regret having this surgery, even if it made Puck sick. Because this means I can keep you just a while longer. And while it's not really enough, I'll take what I can get. I love you."

Dave felt like he was flying. Kurt loved him. Kurt freaking Hummel actually loved him. While his mother had already told him this in his unconscious state, it meant so much more hearing if from the smaller boy's lips. Tears filling his eyes, Dave leaned in to kiss Kurt gently.

"I love you," Dave whispered, his lips still resting against Kurt's. "I'm not going to give up. I promise."

* * *

The next day, Puck's fever finally broke. Lizzie was curled in a ball in the chair next to his bed, fast asleep and Puck sat watching the tv lazily. He looked up when he heard someone clearing their throat and turned, surprised to see Dave sitting in a wheel chair at the doorway.

"I can't get too close. Weakened immune system and all that shit, you know? But…But I just wanted to thank you, in person, for doing this for me. It sucks that you got sick, dude, but Dr. Walter said it's starting to help me. My cell counts are going up and I'm not completely exhausted all the time. I don't know, maybe they'll even let me go home for a while soon. And this is all thanks to you. So thanks, Pu-Noah, for giving me another chance at life."

Puck swallowed thickly, breaking eye contact with his new friend to let his eyes roam over his girlfriend's small sleeping form. Taking a shuddering breath, he turned back to Dave.

"I didn't do it just for you, you know?" Puck asked, cursing himself when tears formed in his eyes. "There are so many people who love you, man. Your dad, Lizzie; hell even Azimo would be lost without your sorry ass. Even with everything you've fucked up with in the past, they have loved you unconditionally. And you've really grown on me, man. You're so much more than the asshole who used to shove Kurt into lockers every day and slushie all of us glee kids."

Dave swallowed thickly, nodding as he looked at his hands. Puck took another shuddering breath before continuing on with his speech.

"But you know the moment when I knew I was doing the right thing-going into this surgery? As I was sitting in the prep room before the surgery and Kurt came to talk to me. And he thanked me for doing this because it meant so much to you and Lizzie. But I could just tell you meant so much to him. Just the look in his eyes and the way he always keeps those pretty of his eyes of you locked on you at all times. And he even admitted it to me. And I realized I had never seen him so happy before. And that's what made it worth it."

"I love him," Dave said, looking up to meet Puck's eyes again.

"I know," Puck said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "But I'm going to tell you this man, if you hurt him, I'm going to kick your ass when you get better. You hear me? And you better not die on him because I'm pretty sure he won't be able to handle that. Just keep that in mind." Dave snorted but nodded.

"I hear ya', Puckerman. But I promise you-that's not going to be necessary."

* * *

A few weeks later found the Karofsky's, Puck, Azimo, and Kurt waiting for test results in Dave's room. They all felt like they were suffering from an extreme case of déjà vu since they had been in this same position at least twice before. Dave felt better than he had in almost six months and wanted nothing more than to hear good news. Almost on cue, Dr. Walter walked into the room. He had a serious look on his face and everyone felt their hearts drop until the older doctor smiled and began to laugh.

"I've got good news. Your scans look wonderful, Dave. I can officially declare you in remission." Puck and Azimo both let out a loud "whoop!" Lizzie burst into tears and threw herself at her brother. Kurt joined the siblings on the bed, taking part in a huge group hug as he trailed kisses down the side of his boyfriend's face. Mr. Karofksy gave a big smile as he shook Dr. Walter's hand. Dave simply stared in shock with wide eyes at Dr. Walter.

"I'm going to be okay?" He asked, not caring that his voice cracked.

"For now, Dave." And although the doctor went into a great explanation off the risk of the cancer coming back, medications he still needed to take and many tests to come, all Dave could focus on was the fact that he was going to be okay-for now. Turning to Kurt, he pulled the smaller boy into his arms, ignoring his sister as she let out an undignified squawk at being nearly pushed out of the bed.

"I love you," Kurt whispered into Dave's ear, holding the larger boy tightly.

"I love you, too," Dave whispered back, placing a deep kiss on Kurt's lips. "And I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that."

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_**AN:**__ That was kind of rushed, but I think I like it. There's probably going to be one more chapter after this. I hope you guys liked it. Please Review. _


	13. Chapter 13

_I don't own Glee._

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**What a Catch: Epilogue**

Kurt let out a shuddering breath as the funeral procession made its way towards the grave site. Burt stood next to him, squeezing his shoulder in a set interval. Sighing, Kurt joined Lizzie and Paul, sitting in one of the small chairs set up in front of the casket.

"We're here today to celebrate the life and say good-bye to a wonderful young man; David Karofsky," the priest said, and Kurt squeezed Lizzie's hand as she let out a loud sob. Puck stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder. Puck, Azimo and Mr. Karofksy stared off at a point in the distance that no one could really see. "David lived a good life. He was loved by his many friends and family members. He had a loving husband that stayed by his side through thick and thin. He had beaten cancer once, but sadly he couldn't pull off the same victory a second time. Although it hurts, David is with his mother now, and is no longer in pain. We will miss him here on earth, but we know he is in a better place."

Kurt wiped at the tears running down his cheeks, spacing out from what the priest was saying. It was five years after Dave's first battle with cancer had been declared in remission. Sadly, six months earlier the disease returned, leaving Dave sicker than before. He had spent three months in the hospital before being sent home to receive hospice care and be kept comfortable until his time came.

Over the five years since Dave had gotten better, him and Kurt had enjoyed their time together. They had gone to college together after graduation, both attending the Ohio State University in Columbus. They had taken time to travel, Dave visiting places like New York, London, and LA for the first time in his life.

They had lost their virginities to each other and were comfortable enough to laugh at how awkward it was while talking to other people. The couple had met up and made amends with Blaine, and the three of them had became friends. All in all, Dave made the most of his life while he still had time.

When Dr. Walter had informed him that his cancer had returned and that he only had about a year left of life, Dave had accepted his fate. Although he wouldn't be able to spend near as much time with Kurt as he would like, Dave knew he had made the most of his relationship while he could. One day, towards the beginning of treatment, he had turned to Kurt.

"Kurt?" he asked gently, pulling a small box out of the bedside table. "I love you. Will you marry me?" Kurt, of course, had immediately said yes. Once Dave had been released from the hospital for a few days, he and Kurt had traveled to Massachusetts where they could legally be married. It wasn't the big wedding Kurt had always thought he wanted, but standing in front of the judge at the court house holding hands with the man he loved was one of the most romantic things he had ever experienced.

As Lizzie stood, pulling Kurt with her, the former gleek played with the wedding ring on his left hand. He took a step forward, closing his eyes while Paul and Lizzie said their final goodbyes. Lizzie dropped his hand and Kurt took another step forward, kissing the palm of his own hand before pressing it to the top of the casket.

"I love you, David," Kurt whispered, his eyes filling with tears and fat tear drops running down his face. "And I'm so proud of you. When I first started liking you, you had sarcastically said 'what a catch' while you referred to yourself. But do you want to know something? You'll always be my greatest catch. I'll always love you, so, so much."

Taking a step back and taking comfort of being near his father and his in-laws, Kurt watched as his husband's casket was lowered into the ground. With one last deep breath, Kurt walked away. The next day he returned to work at the drug research clinic, being one more step closer to finding a cure for the disease that took the love of his life away.

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_**AN**__: Thank you to everyone who read this and gave me their feedback. I hope you all liked it and your reviews meant so much to me!_


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